Revelations
by Mickey3
Summary: Jean has a surprise for Scott. Gambit's secret revealed!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer. The X-Men and any recognizable characters belong to Marvel, Siku is darqstar's, anyone else is mine. Ask first if you want to borrow 'em. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't waste your time, or mine, suing OK? You wouldn't get anything anyway, I'm flat broke.  
  
~words~ depicts psychic talk  
  
*words* denotes thinking to oneself  
  
Acknowledgments. To my friend MarvC Uni (whom I lost contact with during my last absence from AOL), for if not for her, I wouldn't have a title for this story. Thanks Uni. If your out there and read this, e-mail me, I miss ya! Also to darqstar, who was kind enough to let me borrow Siku and helped me a lot with this first chapter. And many thanks to Carma and Jubes, my new beta-readers  
  
Revelations Chapter 1  
  
Scott was sitting in the living room watching television when Jean came into the room. He looked up and smiled at her. The Professor and Hank were attending a human rights convention, Rogue was food shopping, and Ororo, Logan, and Bobby were on a mission. Gambit had left a few hours ago to play pool at Jake's. The couple finally had the mansion to themselves. The only other person in the there was Hank's two and a half year old daughter who was sleeping soundly in her crib upstairs. They had promised Hank they'd watch her while he was gone.  
  
"Scott, could you turn that off for a minute, please? I need to talk to you."  
  
Scott hesitated a second; he didn't want to turn off the Rangers game, but from the tone of her voice he could tell that whatever she wanted to talk to him about was a lot more important than a hockey game. "Sure," he said and turned off the television, "what is it?"  
  
She hesitated a second and seemed to be trying to figure out exactly how to phrase what she wanted to say. She sighed and began talking. "I know we talked about this a little before, but, how do you feel about starting a family?"  
  
He stared at her a second, slightly thrown off by her question. "I love kids, you know that. I've enjoyed watching Siku grow. I'd love to have a child with you someday. Why..." Scott didn't get a chance to finish his question. He stood up and was surprised as she ran over and hugged him tightly, laughing with the giddy laughter of an over-excited child.  
  
"I'm so glad you said that, Scott," she said still smiling. "I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby!"  
  
Scott's mouth dropped open in shock. For once, the usually vocal leader of the X-Men was at a loss for words.  
  
"Scott ... say something sweetheart. Aren't you happy?" she asked him, a little worried over his unusual silence. He stood there silently trying to think of something to say. Different emotions, fear, uncertainty, and others whirled through his mind all at once. What he felt most, though, was a sense of unadulterated joy. He was going to be a daddy again. This time it was Jean's turn to be surprised. Scott gathered her into his arms and whirled her around. "This is great," he shouted, then lowered his voice, realizing that Siku was still sleeping. "I'm going to be a father again. How far along are you?" he asked, finally putting her down.  
  
"Three months. I had a doctor verify it. I'm so glad you're happy about this. To tell you the truth, I was a little worried about how you would react. I know how much what you went through with Nathan hurt you."  
  
"That was hard for me," he admitted, "but it was hard for all of us, we all loved Nathan." He paused for a moment, then smiled warmly at his wife. "However, I'm very happy about being a father again. So, when do you think we should tell the others? And, should we tell them all together, or separately? Does Hank already know?"  
  
"No, Hank doesn't know. I took a home pregnancy test, but Hank wasn't here so I went to a doctor in town and had her verify it for me. I couldn't wait for Hank to come back."  
  
Scott and Jean decided to wait till everyone had returned and tell them together. Hank and the Professor were due back in two days and the others were due tomorrow night.  
  
They sat quietly watching the game, holding each other, until Rogue came back with the groceries. They helped her bring them in, then Scott went to watch the rest of the game as the women put the groceries away. It took all of Jean's self-control not to break her promise to Scott and tell Rogue about the pregnancy. The two were close friends and there was a little part of Jean that felt she was betraying the friendship by not confiding in her. Fortunately, Rogue began to talk of other things, such as little Siku's seemingly unlimited energy, which helped to take Jean's mind off the special secret she and Scott shared. Rogue had done the shopping late, to avoid crowds, and by the time the two women finished putting it all away; it was getting rather late. The three adults in the house retired to bed.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Scott watched as Gambit came into the War Room and sat down. He was the first to enter. Hank was next to come in. He set up Siku's playpen and put her in it. Alex and Lorna came in then. They put their two-and-a- half year old son, Justin, in the playpen with Siku. Scott had called them yesterday and asked them to come over. It was hard for him not to tell them why he had asked them to come. They were followed by the Professor and the rest of the X-Men . *I wonder where Warren and Betsy are.* Scott thought to himself.  
  
~ I'm sure they'll be here soon hon, why don't we start? ~  
  
"I know you're wondering why we called you all here," Scott began, "Jean and I have something we want to tell you, Jean."  
  
Jean looked nervously at her friends as she began to speak. "Scott and I," she began slowly, "we're having a baby."  
  
"Well, it's about time, big brother. You and Jean have been married for three and a half years, six months longer then us," Alex said. He and Lorna realized just how much they meant to each other about a month after Scott and Jean's wedding and had gotten engaged. Five months later they married. Lorna became pregnant shortly after their honeymoon. Justin was born a few days after Gambit brought Siku home.  
  
"I'm so happy for both of you," Xavier told them.  
  
"So are we," a new voice said. The voice belonged to Warren. They all turned to see him and Betsy walking into the War Room.  
  
"Sorry we're late," Betsy said, "traffic was bloody hell."  
  
"Congratulations, my friends," Hank said as he and Bobby shook Scott's hand and gave Jean a hug and a kiss on the check. Storm and Rogue also offered congratulations.  
  
"Thas great, mes amis. Gambit is very happy for you. But I wonder how Siku gonna react. She been de only baby in de mansion for two years."  
  
Logan, who had been quiet until then, spoke up. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled that she'll have a cousin to play with." He walked over to Jean and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek "Congratulations, darlin." He said then turned to Scott and shook his hand. "You too, Scott."  
  
"Thanks, Logan," Jean said, returning his hug and kiss on the cheek. Everyone knew that Logan had been, and still was, in love with Jean. He had come to terms with the fact that she didn't love him in the same way, after the wedding. She would always hold a special place in her heart for him. He and Scott had slowly grown to respect each other, and eventually had become friends.  
  
"I'm sure Logan is correct," Hank said. "Siku is a very sensible child."  
  
"Yeah I'm sure she'll love the idea. Now she'll have two cousins to play with." Bobby added, looking to the playpen where Siku and Justin were quietly playing together.  
  
"It is a shame your parents were unable to be here today, Jean." Ororo said.  
  
"They were disappointed, but they'll be here tomorrow." The Greys had taken Joey and Gaylin on vacation to Florida. Their flight had been canceled due to engine trouble, and they were unable to get another flight until the next morning.  
  
"Were you able to contact Corsair?" Warren asked.  
  
"No. We tried to contact him several times but haven't gotten a response yet." Scott told him. The others couldn't help but hear the disappointment in his voice. "Hopefully we'll be able to reach him soon."  
  
"Hey, this calls for a celebration. What do you say we go to Jake's, on me?" Bobby's suggestion was greeted by an enthusiastic round of cheers from everyone in the room, especially Logan and Gambit. Both often went there to play pool and drink.  
  
*Good old Bobby* Scott thought to himself. *Always looking for a reason to party.* "Why not?" he agreed. "We could all use a night away from everything."  
  
"I agree, Scott. Excellent idea, Bobby."  
  
"Thanks, Prof. Well, let's go."  
  
It was a short drive to Jake's Place and within the half-hour, the entire group was at the bar, pushing several tables together to accommodate the group. Appropriate chairs were brought for the children. They waved cheerfully to Jake as he approached the table.  
  
"So what brings all of you here tonight?" Jake asked.  
  
"Scott and Jean are expecting a baby. Scott's finally going to be a father again." Xavier told him. Jake was one of the few people, other then the members of the various X-teams, that knew the story with Nathan.  
  
"Congratulations. All drinks on me tonight, guys."  
  
Scott turned to Jake and shook his hand. "Thanks, Jake. How are the kids and your granddaughter?"  
  
"They're fine. Jake, Jr., finally asked Melanie to marry him. They set the date for May 16th of next year. He asked me to invite all of you. Jane and Travis are bringing Suzie down next weekend for a visit. She turned three last week. Why don't you come to the house and visit? I'm sure they'd love to see you all again."  
  
Alex was the first to speak. "We'd love to, Jake, but Lorna and I have to leave the day after tomorrow. We're taking Justin to Lorna's parents for her father's birthday. Tell them we said hi. And wish Suzie a happy birthday."  
  
"Unfortunately Warren and I must also leave before then Jake, but we'll visit again soon."  
  
"I have a very important meeting with Senator Benson next weekend that I cannot cancel, I'm sorry my friend, but I will not be able to attend either," the Professor told him.  
  
"That's too bad." Jake said, clearly disappointed, but he understood. "I'll let them know. What about the rest of you?" They all assured him they would come.  
  
Jake had a waitress bring them all a beer except Jean, who had a soda, and congratulated Scott and Jean again. Then he returned to the bar to serve the other customers.  
  
"Well, Scott," Hank said "looks like it's your turn to do diaper duty now."  
  
"And don't forget those three A.M. feedings." Alex added with a smile.  
  
"Ah'd love to see that, sugah," Rogue said, also grinning.  
  
"Hey," Scott exclaimed with an expression of mock hurt on his face. "I did my fair share with Nathan remember? And I helped with Siku and Justin too."  
  
"Aw, not me. After those late night feedings, he'll probably make us all get up for a real long session in the danger room." Bobby joked.  
  
Everyone burst out laughing, including Scott. Alex was happy to see Scott laugh, something he rarely did especially when talking about Nate. He knew how much it hurt Scott to have to send his infant son into the future. He was happy to see that Scott could talk about Nathan as a child without getting that sad look he usually got in his face. He was also glad that Scott and his son were beginning to grow a little closer. *It might be a good idea for Nate and I to get to know each other too* he thought to himself. *He is my nephew, and I really didn't get to see him much before.* Alex joined in their laughter.  
  
"Speaking of Nate, where is he?" Logan asked. He knew he and Nate would never be friends. Killing a man's son, no matter the reason, wasn't the best way to start a friendship. He did respect Nate and vice-versa. That mutual respect and the fact that they both cared about Jean and Scott, kept the two men civial towards each other when they were together.  
  
"He and X-Force are in Europe right now. We'll tell him when he visits, when they return." Jean told them.  
  
They spent the next two hours talking and laughing. At nine o'clock they decided to go home. Gambit told them to go ahead. He wanted to stay a little longer and would walk home.  
  
"Why the long face, Remy?" Jake asked as he walked over to the table. The others had left over an hour and a half ago and Gambit was sitting alone, a glass of beer growing warm in his hands. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself before, now you've been nursing that beer for almost two hours."  
  
Gambit was silent for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He looked up at Jake and spoke, "De never gonna let me forget it, never gonna trus' me 'gain. Can' say I blame dem."  
  
"Sure they will, Remy. Yeah, they were all hurt, some more then others, by what you told them, but they're your friends, your family, they'll forgive you."  
  
"I'm not so sure 'bout dat; 'Ro barely speaks to me now, she has dis real sad look in her eye whenever she looks at me now. Rogue won't even speak to me at all, 'less she 'as to. Warren an' Bobby probably would 'ave killed me already if it weren't for Scott. I still don' understan' why Scott stick up for me like dat in de firs' place. He never really trus' me from the beginnin'. Scott jus' stares at me like he don't quite know what to t'ink, I know he never really liked me before, but now I see de disappointment in his face when he looks at me. Hank even seems a little leery now whenever I take Siku anywhere alone. Even the Professor seems different now. I really screwed up dis time."  
  
"What you told them was a lot to swallow, Remy. Just give them some time, they'll come around."  
  
"It's been almost five months since I tol' dem an' Cyke still not bring me on one mission yet. He know they don' trus' me. Dey t'ink I'll betray dem."  
  
"Trust is a precious thing, Remy. It'll take time and a lot of effort to earn theirs back."  
  
"Maybe it be better if I jus' leave now."  
  
"You know that's not the answer. They would miss you, especially little Siku. That child absolutely adores you. Could you really turn your back on them? On her?"  
  
"I don' know, mon ami. I jus' don' know." With that he got up and started walking out of the bar.  
  
"You're not a quitter, Remy," Jake called after him, "you never were. Don't give up now."  
  
Gambit didn't even turn around; he just stared ahead and started his long walk home.  
  
end chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

OK here comes chapter two. This is mostly a flashback dream that reveals how the X-Men found out Remy's secret Disclaimer. The X-Men and any recognizable characters belong to Marvel, Siku is darqstar's, anyone else is mine. Ask first if you want to borrow 'em. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't waste your time, or mine, suing OK? You wouldn't get anything anyway, I'm flat broke.  
  
~words~ depicts psychic talk  
  
*words* denotes thinking to oneself  
  
Notes: At the end  
  
Revelations chapter 2  
  
He was dreaming again and he knew it. He just couldn't get himself to wake up. It was the same dream he had been having every night for almost five months. It was the dream of how his life fell apart, again.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
The sun shines brightly on the mansion grounds on a lovely mid-April day. The inhabitants of the mansion have decided to take advantage of the beautiful spring day by having a picnic. As Gambit looks around at his extended family he finds himself wondering once again how he was so lucky as to find a family again. When he'd been banned from ever returning to New Orleans he thought he'd never be part of a family again. But somehow he has, and he never wants to loose them. He hopes that they never find out the dark secret he's been hiding from them. A secret he could never expect them to forgive him for, because he still hasn't forgiven himself.  
  
"Unca Remy, watch me," his almost two year old niece Siku calls out to him. He looks over to the swing set where Siku is swinging herself higher and higher, and before Remy can stop her she launches herself into the air.  
  
"I'm a bird!" she yells out gleefully, until she hits the ground, turning her laughter to tears. Remy chuckles as he walks over to her. He knows she isn't seriously hurt, they've played this game before. He picks up the child, now holding her slightly scraped right knee, cradling her like he did the night he brought her home.  
  
"It huwts, Unca Remy," she whimpers.  
  
He smiles softly at her and kisses her knee. "Dat better, petite," he asks her. He sees a smile begin to form on the little girl's face. Before she can answer he starts tickling her. "How about now hun, all better?"  
  
"Put ... me ... down," she says between hysterical fits of laughter.  
  
"What's de magic word, petite?"  
  
"Pweeeeeaase!"  
  
He puts her down and watches her run back to the swings. He chuckles lightly and walks over to the basketball court and shoots around. Soon he is joined by Logan, Rogue, Hank, Jubilee, and Scott. Remy looks at Scott with an amused look. "You c'n play?" he asks dubiously.  
  
"I guess we'll find out soon enough won't we?" Scott answers, a sly smile forming on his lips. He has been waiting for an opportunity such as this for a long time. They split into teams; Scott, Hank, and Rogue on one team, and Logan, Remy and Jubilee on the other. "Twenty say's we wipe de floor wit' you."  
  
"Put your money where your mouth is, Cajun," a mischievous smile on his face.  
  
The shock is evident on the others faces. Scott Summers is about to play Basketball with them, and is betting on the outcome!  
  
"Dis be easy as takin' candy from a baby," Gambit says, grinnning. "Here mon ami, we let you have the ball first," Remy says, checking the ball in play to Scott, who is standing at the top of the key.  
  
"Let's play then." he says and before anyone can react, he dribbles down the court and goes in for a perfect lay-up. They stare open mouthed at him as he dribbles back to the free throw line. "That's two," he says smiling.  
  
"Whoa ho ho." Logan says.  
  
"You take me by surprise once homme, dat not happen again." Remy says, getting over his initial shock.  
  
"Double or nothing?" Scott asks, grinning inwardly at the shocked looks on his friends faces.  
  
"You're on, mon ami."  
  
Ororo watches in stunned silence as the game progresses. She can't help but wonder if Jean even knows how good he is, or if this is a secret he's managed to keep even from her. She turns and walks back into the kitchen where Jean is putting the finishing touches on the lunch she and Ororo had been preparing.  
  
"Jean, I think you should see this. Could you come outside for a moment, please?"  
  
"Uh, sure. What's up 'Ro?" she asks quizzically.  
  
"I think this is something you need to see for yourself my friend," she answers with a smile.  
  
Jean follows her out, wondering what could be going on that's so shocking that Ororo can't just tell her. When they get to the basketball court she sees why her friend brought her there. She is shocked. Her husband, the usually serious, down to business, leader of the X-Men, is playing basketball! Even more shocking then that was, not only is he having fun playing, but he is good at it! Really good. She can't believe what she is seeing. Scott, who is being guarded by a determined looking Remy, makes a beautiful no-look pass to Hank who then slam dunks the ball.  
  
The two women watch in amazed silence as Scott continues to make amazing plays, either passing or shooting. Then he makes one more play, Scott dribbles the ball under the basket like he is going for the shot, instead he passes it to Rogue who passes it to Hank, who passes it back to Scott who was now heading for the three point line. He fakes out Remy and puts up the three point shot. They watch in silence as the ball flys through the air. Gambit makes a last ditch effort to block it but misses. The ball drops threw the net. Hank and Rogue go over and congratulate their team mate. They are joined by the other three players.  
  
"That's game," Scott said smiling. He turns to Remy, his smile getting bigger. "I believe you owe me forty bucks, Gambit." When Gambit makes no immediate attempt to pay up, Scott holds out his hand. "Cough it up, Gumbo," he says, using Logan's favorite name for Gambit.  
  
Remy reluctantly pulls two twenty dollar bills out of his shorts pocket and hands them to Scott, who puts them in his own pocket.  
  
"Got any o'her secrets you not tell us yet, homme?" Remy asks, smiling.  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Scott replies, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. He is nearly knocked over by Jean, who throws herself into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, as he turns to Remy.  
  
"You never told me you could play basketball, you were great, and gambling..." she says, letting her voice drop off.  
  
"Hey, contrary to popular belief, I do know how to have fun, you know. Besides, I just couldn't resist. I used to play a lot when I was younger." he doesn't want to spoil the day with memories of his time at the orphanage so he doesn't mention that it had been there, in all the time he spent alone, that he'd taught himself to play.  
  
"He really surprised us all with that game, sugah," Rogue says.  
  
"Definitely an awesome game, Scott. Next time I'm on your team," adds Jubilee  
  
Logan and Gambit look at her with mock looks of hurt.  
  
"We not good enough for you no more, petite?" Gambit asks  
  
"It's not that, Scott's just better," she says shrugging her shoulders. Everyone laughs as Remy and Logan give her more mock looks of hurt.  
  
"I must confess," Ororo added " I think he surprised us all with that game." Now it is Scott's turn to feign having his feelings hurt. " What, you think I have no other interest other then my wife and the X-Men? That I don't know how to have fun? Is that what you all think?"  
  
The others look at each other surpressing the urge to laugh, and say in unison "Yes."  
  
"You know ," Scott begins, grinning like a Cheshire cat, " I could always cancel our picnic lunch and schedule a nice long, hard, Danger Room work out instead. How about that?"  
  
"No way, man." Jubilee says quickly. "I don't know about the others, but I think you gave us enough of a workout already."  
  
The others laugh at the look on Jubilees face and nod in agreement, as they walk over to the tables. Scott takes one last look at the court and turns towards the table when he feels a tug on his pant leg. When he looks down he sees Siku standing in front of him holding the ball.  
  
"Unca Scott," she asks "will you teach me to pway? Pweeeease?"  
  
"Sure, sweetheart. Right after lunch, OK?" She nods in agreement, and he picks her up and carries her to the tables.  
  
Lunch is a jovial affair, filled with laughter and jokes. Scott, good- naturedly, takes the brunt of the jokes. The X-Men rarely have the opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy each others company. When such an opportunity does present itself, the X-Men don't hesitate to jump on it.  
  
After lunch Jean, Ororo, Jubilee, and Rogue clear the table while engaging in "girl talk". Remy pulls out a deck of cards and starts a game of poker with Logan and Hank. Scott takes Siku back to the basketball court. He watches with amusement as she tries to dribble the ball, smacking at it with both hands.  
  
"Aim for the basket and throw it," he tells her as he picks her up. She does as Scott tells her and the ball smacks off the backboard and bounces down the court. Siku wiggles out of his arms and runs after it, giggling. He chuckles as he watches her. She runs back to him.  
  
"Again," she says raising her arms again, her tiny blue hands clutching the ball. Scott is amazed by her boundless energy as they repeat the cycle over and over again. It suddenly dawns on him that this is the first time he's actually spent any time alone with his niece. Sure he'd changed her diapers and put her to bed a few times, had even given her her bath once last year, but this is the first time he's played with her for more then a few minutes. He is thoroughly enjoying himself. He watchs as Siku runs up to him again. Suddenly she stops about three feet from him.  
  
"Who's dat, Unca Scott?" She asks.  
  
Scott turns around and is shocked to see the Juggernaut and Sabertooth walking into the backyard. He quickly grabs Siku, surprising the little girl and causing her to drop the basketball. He holds her tight to his chest and turns back to the intruders. Sabertooth looks at the little girl and shows his sharp teeth, scaring little Siku who then begins to cry. Scott whispers quietly in her ear and her crying slows to soft sobs as she buries her face in Scott's shoulder and wraps her arms tightly around his neck.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
"I don't believe you picked up the correct amount of cards, Remy" Hank says.  
  
"Remy don' need to cheat to beat you homme," he replies.  
  
"Awww what's a matter Blue," Logan asks chuckling "lose to much money on that last hand?"  
  
"I was simply making ... Oh my stars and garters!" he suddenly exclaimes. The other guys look at Hank then over to where he is pointing. Their mouths drop open in shock as they see Juggernaut and Sabertooth at the court talking to Scott, who is clutching Siku tightly. They rush over to Scott.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
"Oh he..." Jean stops in mid sentence as she receives the telepathic message through her rapport with Scott.  
  
~ Jean, come quick, and bring the others. We've got trouble.~ Jean looks to Jubilee, Ororo, and Rogue. "Let's go, we have some uninvited guests at the basketball court." She sees the guys rushing over as she and the other X-women go over.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
"You get off on scarring little girls Creed?" Scott asks menacingly.  
  
"Maybe," he replies flippantly. "Whatcha gonna do about it One-Eye?" Siku clings tighter to Scott at the sound of Creed's voice. He frightens most adults, and Scott can only imagine how much he is frightening the little girl. He gently rubs her back to assure her he will protect her. "It's all right," he whispers softly so only she can hear "I won't let them hurt you." With that, she loosens her grip on Scott's neck, but only slightly. Scott looks up as the others come up on either side of him.  
  
"Jubilee, take Siku to the safe room," Scott says, gently prying the little girl's fingers from his neck.  
  
Jubilee goes over to Scott, gently puts her hands on Siku's waist, and attempts to take her from Scott. Siku tightens her grip on Scott's neck.  
  
~ It's all right sweetheart. It's only Jubilee. She's going to take you to your special play room. ~  
  
Siku quickly leapt into Jubilee's arms as she heard her Aunt Jean's voice in her mind. "I'm scared Ju bee." She whispered into Jubilee's ear.  
  
"I know kiddo. I know," she whispered back, in her bravest voice. She didn't let Siku see it, but Creed scares her to. Scared as she is, she doesn't want to go. She wants to stay and help the X-Men, but she knows from the tone of Scott's voice, there is no room for argument. Besides someone has to make sure Siku is safe, and she isn't a X-Man right now, she is just visiting. She walks quickly into the mansion and to the safe room. When he had decided to adopt Siku, Hank had turned one of the rooms in the basement into a safe room for Siku, just for instances such as this.  
  
Scott watches the two girls go into the mansion. Once they were in he turns his attention back to the two men before him. "What are you doing here Marko, Creed? How did you get in without setting off the alarms," Scott asks as the others arrived.  
  
"One question at a time One-Eye," Marko says. "We came here looking for my whimpy stepbrother, since he ain't here, Creed here thought it'd be a good idea to see what you X-Geeks were up to. As for the security system ... well I don't think we'll let you in on that little secret yet."  
  
"What do you want with Charley, bub?" Logan asks in a growl, claws extended.  
  
"None of your business little man," Sabertooth answers.  
  
Logan is ready to attack him then, but Scott stops him. "Not yet, Logan," he says sternly.  
  
Logan reluctantly lowered his claws, leaving them out, and stepped back. He is still growling softly.  
  
"Any time little man, any time."  
  
"You obviously know Charles isn't here right now, so why are you still here?" Jean asks, her dislike for the two intruders evident in her voice.  
  
"We'll, Creed thought it'd be nice to drop in on his old buddy, Remy. They go way back ya know," Juggernaut says.  
  
"Yeah, way back. Just thought I'd see how you're doing. By the way, how's your side Remy?" Sabertooth asks, pointing to Remy's right side.  
  
"Remy NOT you're friend, not then, not now, not ever," Gambit says, practically yelling as he steps beside Scott. "Why don' you jus' leave me an' my friends alone?"  
  
"Do you really think they'd still be your friends if they knew the truth?" Sabretooth asked smiling menacingly.  
  
Scott watches as the color drains from Remy's face. The others stand in stunned silence.  
  
Creed turns to Hank. "That's a real cute little girl ya got there fur ball. Maybe I'll come back soon and get to know her a little better. Whatdya say?" Without waiting for an answer he and the Juggernaught turn and leave.  
  
Hank starts to go after Creed, a murderous look on his face. Scott, seeing the remark for what is was, an attempt to get them all riled and not an acuall threat, puts a restraining hand on his friends shoulder.  
  
"Don't Hank. He is just trying to start a fight. He isn't worth it." Hank takes a deep breath. Then he and the other X-Men turn to Gambit. They begin firing questions at him all at once.  
  
"What was he talking about, Gambit?" Scott asks.  
  
"How do you know Creed?" Logan asks in a low growl. "The truth about what?" Rogue and Storm asks at the same time. Remy feels his heart sink as he looks at his friends. He knows it is time to tell them about his past. About working for Sinister, and his role in the Morlock massacre. He has the sinking feeling he is about to lose his family again. "Meet me in de War Room in half an hour," he says as he walks, shoulders slumped, into the mansion. The others watch silently as he walks away, wondering if they really want to know what Remy is about to tell them.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Scott and Jean are the first to enter. They see Gambit sitting on a chair turned backwards, with his fingers clasped behind his neck, apparently deep in thought. He looked up as the others walked into the room. His heart sunk even more as he saw Warren walk in at the end of the group. Apparently he'd come for a visit and one of the others had filled him in on what had happened. Bobby came in last, apparently his date had ended early. Remy looks to Jubilee.  
  
"Where's Siku?" he asks her.  
  
"Scott kinda wore her out. I gave her a bath and put her down for a nap. She's out like a light."  
  
"Good," he says quietly.  
  
"Now, tell us what that little scene was all about, Gambit," Scott says in a somber voice.  
  
"Yeah Cajun, enlighten us." Logan adds.  
  
"I t'ink you'd all better 'ave a seat, you ain' gonna like what you hear," Gambit says. They all sit down. Gambit sighs heavily as he looks at them and begins his story. He tells them about how he got involved with Sinister. He sighs again as he watches their expressions, a mixture of surprise, anger, disappointment, and, from some of them, pure hate. He tells them of some of the jobs he did for Sinister. Then he tells them about his involvement with the Marauders.  
  
"After de las' job I tol' him I want not'in more to do wit him. He said he had one more job for me. I tol' him no, but he said he had some information I was lookin' for and he'd give it to me if I did what he asked. He want'd me to gather a bunch of men for him to take out some people who had double crossed him. Said all I had to do was to lead them to the tunnel entrance. I had a feeling there was more to it, but I didn' care. I was young and stupid and all I cared about was the information. I didn't know what they really had planned or I never would 'ave lead dem there." Remy seems to be pleading with them to believe him. He looks about ready to cry. He recomposes himself and continues with the story. "I did what he asked, but when we got to the beginin' of de tunnel Sabretooth said dey needed me to take dem all de way in. Somethin' tol' me to turn aroun' right den and dere, but I didn'. De damn info seemed so important den." he says the last part more to himself then the others.  
  
"I showed dem all de way in. When we got all de way in I realized I'd jus' made de most horrible mistake in my life. I didn' know dey where gonna kill dem, I swear. Dey weren't who he said they where. Dey ... dey ... dey were jus' tryi' to live in peace. Sabretooth and de ot'ers started killin' before I realized I'd been suckered. I tried to stop dem, but dere was not'in I could do. Den I see her. One little girl, sitting in a tight ball in de corner, amongst so much death, tryin' to make herself disappear. I ran over an' picked her up. She put her arms 'round my neck so tight I t'ought she was gonna choke me to death. I started runnin' back towards the beginin' of de tunnel, when Sabretooth grabbed for me. He missed, or so I t'ought. I jus' kep' runnin' 'till I got to a friends house. I knocked on de door, when he opened it I handed him de girl an' collapsed."  
  
"When I woke up I was lyin' on a bed wit my shirt off. Dere was gauze or somethin' wrapped around my waist. He took off de dressin' an I saw four long jagged lines runnin' parellel to my ribs." The others had all seen the scars on his ribs but he hadn't wanted to talk about them and they hadn't pressed the issue. Logan knew that if it weren't for his accelerated healing, he'd have a couple like them himself.  
  
"Dat's when I realized Creed hadn't missed me, dat I passed out from blood loss also, not jus' exhaustion. He rewrapped de wounds an asked me if I wanted to tell him how I got dem. I said no and he dropped it, he didn' ask me again. I foun' out I had been out for almos' four days. I asked him 'bout the girl. He said she was in shock but she was safe an' would be fine. He asked if I wanted to see her. I tol' him I t'ough it'd be better for her if I didn' see her again. Truth was I didn't 'ave de guts to face her again. I caused so her so much pain, even tough I didn' mean to hurt anyone. I didn' want to see de hurt in her eyes again. I lef' his house two days later. I wanted to forget what had happened, but I couldn't. Then I meet Ororo." He didn't think it would be a good idea to call her Stormy just then. "Den I meet de X-Men, I t'ought I could put de pas' behind me. I never wanted dem to get hurt. I'm so sorry." He turned his chair the right way and sat down, suddenly feeling like he had no energy at all. They all stare at him in stunned silence.  
  
Warren is the first to break the silence and shocks them even more. "You ... lying ... murdering ... BASTARD," he yells as he literally flies across the table and into Remy, knocking him off the chair. He wraps his fingers around Gambit's neck. " You're responsible for their deaths, for THIS," he yells again, expanding his metal wings. "You think you can just say "I'm Sorry" and that'll make everything OK? That we'll all just forget that you lead a bunch of killers into those tunnels to murder a bunch of innocent people?"  
  
Scott was the first to get over the shock. "Warren, get off him, NOW," he said.  
  
He didn't move.  
  
Scott went over to Warren and grabbed him by what was left of the shirt he'd been wearing, and bodily threw him off Gambit, which shocked the X-Men even more.  
  
"Why'd you stop him, Scotty?" Bobby asked "You should've let him kill the son of a bitch."  
  
"Shut up, Robert."  
  
Bobby clamped his mouth shut. In all the years he'd known Scott, Scott had never called him Robert. He had never sounded so angry before, either. Gambit, still gasping for air, clumsily got back into his chair. No one made any attempt to help him. The other X-Men were standing now, having recovered from their shock, and began talking loudly, and all at once.  
  
"Sit down and shut-up, all of you. This is not a free for all." They all quieted down and sat down, surprised at the anger in Scott's voice.  
  
Then Remy surprised them all as he stood up, still rubbing his sore, red neck. "Remy understand if you don't want me here no more. I'll leave now."  
  
"Bye," Warren said. He has gotten up from where Scott had thrown him and is back in his seat.  
  
"Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out," Bobby adds sarcastically.  
  
"Both of you shut up, now. I won't tell you again." The anger in his voice makes them clamp their mouths shut again. They sit quietly, most of them glaring at Gambit.  
  
"Gambit's not going any were unless he wants to, at least not yet. He is still a part of this team. If the Professor wants to kick him out that's up to him, but untill he returns and makes his decision, Gambit stays. Understand?"  
  
They all, especially Gambit, are surprised by what Scott has said. They all nod and get up to leave, some of them glaring at Gambit on the way out.  
  
"Traitor," Bobby and Warren spat.  
  
"How could ya lie ta us like that?" Rogue asks, fighting back the tears that are threatening to come out.  
  
Hank and Jubilee just walk past without saying anything, a sad look in their eyes. Jean puts her hand on his shoulder and gives a light squeze, then walks out.  
  
Logan follows, shaking his head.  
  
Ororo is the last to leave. She stares at him, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"'Ro I ..." he doesn't get to finish what he is saying. She runs past him, eyes covered as the tears run freely down her cheeks.  
  
Gambit drops his head to his chest and his shoulders slump. When he looked up he was surprised to see Scott still standing in the room. There was so many question he wanted to ask Scott, but only one came out. "Why?"  
  
"This is the Professor's house and therefore your staying or leaving is up to him. I believe you're sincere in you're regret. You're still an X-Man, whether or not you remain one is your choice. What happened can't be totally blamed on you. But I was there, Gambit. I saw what those monsters did," Scott said, his voice nearly trembling with anger, and pain at the memory of the atrocities he'd seen that day, and the helplessness he'd felt. "What Warren just did wasn't right, but his anger is justified. The loss of his wings hit him extremely hard." Scott told him, pushing aside the painful memories of that time. "You can't really blame any of us for our anger. Ororo is the one you should ask for forgiveness from, if that's what you're looking for. She trusted you the most, and was hurt the most by that massacre, and that little girl. I still don't completely trust you, Gambit. I'll never forget what I saw that day. Make no mistake, if you ever do anything to betray the X-Men, or hurt any of us, I swear Bobby and Warren will be the least of your problems. Got it?" Without waiting for an answer he walks out the door.  
  
Gambit stands silently as he watches Scott leave the War Room. He does understand Scott and the others' anger all to well. He doesn't hold it against them.  
  
For the first time in his life Gambit feels completely and utterly alone.  
  
Ok That's chapter 2 what do you think? Notes: OK, I know many of you are wondering why Creed and Marko left without a fight. Well ... that will be explained in another story. Some of you are probably thinking that I wrote Bobby a little out of character as well. That too will be explained in another story. Believe me, there IS a reason why I did it that way. So you'll just have to wait. Aren't I just the evil little writter? :-) 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer. The X-Men and any recognizable characters belong to Marvel, Siku is darqstar's, anyone else is mine. Ask first if you want to borrow 'em. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't waste your time, or mine, suing OK? You wouldn't get anything anyway, I'm flat broke.  
  
~words~ depicts psychic talk  
  
*words* denotes thinking to oneself  
  
Revelations Chapter 3  
  
Gambit was awakened early by the sound of thunder. As he slowly awakened, he realized it wasn't thunder; someone was knocking rather loudly on his door.  
  
"Come in," he said, still half asleep. The door opened halfway and Rogue stuck her head in, saying only one word.  
  
"Breakfast." That said, she shut his door and walked away.  
  
Gambit wondered for the millionth time if she would ever smile at him again ... or even speak more than one word at a time to him. He shivered and rolled over. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn the temperature in his room had dropped about twenty degrees upon Rogue's announcement. He threw off the sheet, and looked at his alarm clock. The bright red numbers read 5:44 am. *Jean mus' be cookin' * he thought to himself. *She de only one who 'as breakfas' ready dis early. *  
  
Then again, the only time anyone was up before eight was when Scott decided it was a good idea to schedule a seven am Danger Room workout. *Why he t'ink seven A.M. is a good time to slug it out in de danger room is a good idea, I'll ne'er know* Gambit sat on the edge of his bed and stretched. As he got up and dressed he quietly cursed Scott out, as he did every morning he was scheduled for an early Danger Room workout. He reluctantly tied his sneakers, took one last longing look at his bed, and headed into the kitchen.  
  
xxxx The Danger Room control room xxxx approximately four hours later  
  
"Bobby, look out," Gambit called.  
  
"That's Iceman in here, and I don't need your help, Cajun," Bobby said viciously, as he turned to spot the object Remy had warned about flying straight for his head. The object fell harmlessly to the ground, shattering into small pieces, as Iceman froze it a split second before it would have hit him.  
  
*Fool* Gambit thought to himself as he charged some cards and threw them at a missile that was heading for him. Then he turned to see how Rogue and Archangel were doing, and threw more charged cards at a Sentinel grabbing for Rogue. She was pulling off some kind of tentacles that had wrapped themselves around Archangel, strapping him to the wall. She didn't notice the Sentinel approaching her.  
  
Gambit's cards struck the Sentinel's neck, severing its head from its body. It fell harmlessly to the ground. Rogue heard the Sentinel hit the ground and turned to see what had made the noise. She looked at the fallen Sentinel, then at Gambit. He couldn't help but cringe when she looked at him. There was no gratitude in her eyes, only the same sadness and anger that had been there since he'd revealed his secret to the X- Men.  
  
He watched as she snapped the last tentacle and gently laid the unconscious Archangel on the ground. Gambit had been so distracted that he hadn't noticed the Sentinel coming up behind him until it was to late. He gasped as the air was forced from his lungs, the sentinel's hand wrapping tightly around his chest. It lifted him up and flew about twenty feet in the air.  
  
Rogue turned at Gambit's gasp. She flew to the Sentinel and put her fist through its face. She caught Gambit as the non-functional Sentinel released its hold on Remy, dropping him.  
  
"T'ank's chere" he said to her. "Gambit knew you not let him fall." Rogue didn't respond as they approached the floor. Instead she let him go about six feet from the floor, then turned to help Bobby, who was now surrounded by Sentinels.  
  
Gambit hit the floor with a loud thud. He wasn't injured when he hit the floor, but didn't make any attempt to get up. He simply had no desire to. *Wha's de point* he thought bitterly to himself. *De don' wan' my help anyway.* He laid motionless on the floor watching Rogue and Iceman fight, when suddenly the battle scene disappeared, leaving only the gray walls of the Danger Room, and the four X-Men who had been training.  
  
Scott's voice came over the intercom. "That's enough for today," he said, agitation evident in his voice. "Gambit, come up here please."  
  
He said it like a request, but Gambit knew it was an order. He thought momentarily about ignoring Cyclops and returning to bed, then thought better of it. When he'd first joined the X-Men he'd disobeyed an order from Cyclops, and all it had earned him was a week of monitor duty, an extra long danger room session the next morning, and a few of Scott's famous lectures. Besides, Scott sounded extremely angry, and Gambit had a feeling it was more than just because of Rogue, Warren, and Bobby's behavior. He watched the others leave, giving him hateful glares as they left, then slowly got up and made his way to the control room. Scott gave Gambit exactly what he expected. A lecture.  
  
"I'm disappointed in you Gambit. I know you weren't injured in that fall, but you laid there, not moving, anyway. You simply gave up. You barely tried throughout this whole session. I've noticed you've been slacking lately, but today was the worst performance I've ever seen ... by anyone."  
  
Gambit tried to control his anger as Scott talked; finally he gave up trying and spoke out. "Wha's de point, Cyke? You saw how they acted, heard what de said, dey made it quite clear dey not wan' Gambit 'round."  
  
"Trust is a delicate thing Gambit. You betrayed our trust in you by not telling us sooner. It will take time to earn it back."  
  
"How dat gonna happen, eh?" asked Remy, his voice a mixture of anger and hurt. "How you t'ink dey gonna trus' me again when you don', ne'er did."  
  
Scott opened his mouth to say something, then shut it, deciding to hear Gambit out. "Don't try to deny it Scott, 'cuz Remy see it in your face, and in your actions. You don't say anyt'ing to me unless it's necessary. You not put me on a mission in seven months, since I revealed my secret, an' dere been plenty." Remy stared at Scott, waiting to see what he would say.  
  
Scott was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "You're right, Gambit. I never completely trusted you from the moment we met, but I trusted you enough to watch my back, and the others, in a mission. I don't know if I can do that now. The others, however, with maybe the exception of Bobby, trusted you almost from the beginning, especially Ororo. You betrayed that trust by not telling us of your involvement in the Morlock Massacre. You obviously didn't trust us enough to accept you. I won't put the team in danger by bringing along someone they don't trust."  
  
Remy felt his heart sink. He realized he was probably fighting a losing battle, and without being dismissed, he turned and walked out of the control room.  
  
Scott watched Gambit walk out, shoulders slumped, and thought about calling the others up to the control room to let them know how disappointed he was in them. He realized it wouldn't do any good and dismissed the thought. He had tried talking to them, and yelling at them, and it never seemed to faze them. He had hoped that by making them train together; they would eventually release their animosity towards Gambit and learn to trust him again, but it only seemed to strengthen their hatred towards him. He knew Gambit was honestly trying to earn back the X- Men's trust. He had, after all, remained and endured the harsh treatment when he could have easily left.  
  
Gambit took a shower, then returned to his room. He flopped down on his bed wearing only boxers. He was exhausted. The training session had lasted nearly three hours, longer than the usual hour and-a-half to two hour sessions. He tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. He got up and finished dressing, then decided to get a snack and take a long walk.  
  
Scott walked to the boathouse he and Jean shared, silently going over the events of the training session, and his conversation with Remy in his mind. He still couldn't decide what to do as he reached the boathouse. He walked in the front door and into the kitchen. Jean was standing at the counter preparing an early picnic lunch for the two of them. She was putting in the potato salad, his favorite, as he entered the kitchen.  
  
"How did it go, " she asked. The look on his face, and the tension she felt in him through their rapport gave Jean her answer. "That bad? "  
  
"Yeah. That bad. Probably the worst one yet," Scott replied sadly. "But I don't want to talk about it." He walked over to the counter and pulled Jean close to him, kissing her passionately.  
  
She leaned into his kiss, matching his passion. They slowly broke the kiss, Jean smiled as she looked into his eyes, barely visible behind his ruby quartz's glasses. "Let's go, lover," she said to him as he returned her smile. She knew their picnic would give him a chance to talk about other things and give him time away from the burdens of leadership, if only for a few hours.  
  
He picked up the basket with his left hand, wrapped his right arm around his wife's waist, and set out for their favorite spot by the lake to enjoy their lunch.  
  
Bobby and Warren each took a shower and decided to go to Jake's for a drink. They walked to Rogue's room and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in " she told them.  
  
"We're going to Jake's for lunch and a drink, wanna come along?" Warren asked her. She was sitting at her vanity brushing her damp hair.  
  
"No sugah, you two go on and have a good time. Ah think Ah'll just stay here and relax for a while."  
  
"Suit yourself," Bobby said, and he and Warren left her room.  
  
Rogue set down her brush after they left and went over to the door and shut it. She then went over to her bed, laid down, buried her face in her pillow, and cried.  
  
OK. I know it's a little short but there's chapter 3. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer. The X-Men and any recognizable characters belong to Marvel, Siku is darqstar's, anyone else is mine. Ask first if you want to borrow 'em. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't waste your time, or mine, suing OK? You wouldn't get anything anyway, I'm flat broke.  
  
~words~ depicts psychic talk  
  
*words* denotes thinking to oneself  
  
Notes: Unfortunately Carma can no long beta for me :-(. Luckily for me though the following wonderful people have agreed to be my new vic ..... uh ... I mean beta's. Many thanks to Crow, Cosmic, Beth, Thren, Maria Cline, Lady Arakne, and Nat. Oh, and they also went over the first three parts and helped a little bit there. Aren't they just the best?!! WARNING: Descriptions of some very cruel things done to a child. This may earn a PG-13 rating. Discretion is advised. Now that that's out of the way .... on with the story.  
  
Revelations Chapter 4  
  
Gambit walked silently down the sunlit street reviewing the events of the past few months in his head, particularly the ones from earlier that morning. She had dropped him. Sure she had originally caught him, stopping him from falling about twenty feet to the ground, which could have caused some serious injuries, but when they were still about six feet up she dropped him. The fall had hurt, but not physically. Gambit's thoughts where disrupted when a sandy haired boy ran full into him, nearly knocking them both to the ground.  
  
"Hey, where's de fire?" Gambit asked chuckling.  
  
The boy looked up at Gambit, his face flush with excitement. "Sorry mister. Me and my brothers are playin'."  
  
"What you playin' dat you be runnin' so fast?"  
  
"Mutants," The little boy replied.  
  
Gambit felt himself getting angry. *Dis is what we fighting for. So people can teach dere kids ta hate mutants.*  
  
The boy didn't notice the anger in Gambit's face. His voice was filled with excitement as he spoke. "It's really fun. I made it up." He said proudly. "It's kinda like Cops and Robbers I guess." He admitted. He happily explained the basics of the game. "I'm a mutant, I'm always a mutant cuz I invented the game, and my little brother is one to, and my two older brothers are in the FOH and we're chasin' them cuz they were real mean to a mutant and they attacked him, and so we're gonna put 'em in jail." The boy finished breathlessly. The details of his current adventure coming out as one long sentence.  
  
The anger Gambit felt was replaced by surprise as he listened to the little boy talk. "You not afraid of mutants?" He asked skeptically. "You're parents know you play dis game?" "Na, we ain't afraid. Our parents know we play. They always tell us that mutants are people too, and we shouldn't judge people or hate them just cuz they're different." The boy suddenly looked a little ashamed. "They also said we shouldn't talk to strangers." He was quiet for a second, then said "My name's Shaun. What's yours?"'P  
  
"Remy."  
  
"I guess we're not strangers any more." The boy said smiling. Then he looked at Gambit suspiciously. "Are you a mutant?"  
  
Gambit was silent for a second then kneeled in front of Shaun and took off his glasses.  
  
"Wow, cool." The boy whispered.  
  
"Are you a mutant?" he asked the boy.  
  
"No," he said. Then leaning towards Gambit he whispered even lower, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. "Sometimes though, I wish I was. I'd love to have eyes like yours." He returned his voice to normal. "I gotta go now, mister. My brothers are gonna think I got lost or something"  
  
Gambit realized he was still holding the boy's shoulders and let him go. "T'ank you," he said.  
  
The boy looked at him with a puzzled expression. "For what," he asked.  
  
"For giving me back somet'ing I t'ought I los'". Gambit watched as the boy looked up at him, and for a second it looked like the boy knew what he was talking about. Then the boy smiled and ran off.  
  
"Bye mister," he called, waving as he ran down the street.  
  
Gambit smiled as he watched the boy disappear around a corner. Without knowing it, the little boy had giving Gambit a special gift. He had given him back his hope. He had thought he'd lost the last of it when he told the X-Men his secret. When he had joined the X-Men, he'd thought Xavier's dream was foolish; that it could never come true. But Ororo believed, so he stayed. He told himself that was the only reason he stayed, but a small part of him, a part he revealed to no one and refused to acknowledge himself, wanted desperately to believe it could happen. Now he found himself opening up to that long buried part. He would fight for Xavier's dream now, for now it had become his dream too. With renewed hope he walked back to the mansion. To his home, his family, things he thought he would never have again. He would fight to win back their loyalty, and he would never let them down again.  
  
xxxxxxxxxx Two Days Later xxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Like a few days earlier, Gambit was once again awakened by a thunderous knocking at his door. He looked at his alarm clock. 8:16am showed in bright letters. He knew there was no training session scheduled for this morning and was curious as to why he was being awakened so early. "Come in," he mumbled from under his pillow. He was surprised when Scott walked in. No, he had his uniform on and that look on his face, the one he wore only when there was trouble. Right now he wasn't Scott he was Cyclops leader of the X-Men. His visor hid the urgency in his eyes, but not in his voice. "Be in uniform and in the war room in ten minutes." Scott's voice was somber as he spoke. "There's serious trouble." Scott turned to leave but stopped at the sound of Gambit's voice.  
  
"Wha's going on? Where de others?" he asked, the surprise evident in his voice. It was clear Cyclops intended to bring him on a mission.  
  
There was an edge in Cyclops' voice when he spoke again, his patience obviously wearing thin. "The FOH is causing trouble again," was his vague reply. He looked at Gambit's alarm clock. "Eight minutes." Without another word, Scott walked out of Gambit's room, shutting the door behind him.  
  
xxxxxxxxx The War Room seven minutes later xxxxxxxxx  
  
Gambit put his hand on the door knob and hesitated, looking down at the uniform he hadn't worn outside the Danger Room in nearly five months. He took a deep breath, then turned the knob and entered the War Room.  
  
There was only four other X-Men in the room: Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine and Storm. He noticed Jean was the only one not in uniform.  
  
*Where de others,* he thought to himself.  
  
As if to answer Gambit's unasked question, Cyclops spoke. "At aproximately one o'clock this morning, the Professor recieved and urgent message from an old friend of his who is now the senator of Pennsylvania. Senator Williams expressed great concern that the FOH may be growing stronger there. They have had six unprovoked attacks on mutants in less than two days. The Professor called Warren at his home and asked Warren to accompany him. He also took Rogue, Bobby, and Hank. The Professor called an hour ago to say they where getting the situation under control. He and Hank will remain behind while the others will leave in a few hours to return home. They should be here around noon. Unfortunately we can't wait that long. Fifteen minutes ago I recieved a message from Havok.  
  
As you know, the FOH has become more vocal and violent in recent months. They plan to hold a rally in Central Park today and the NYPD suspects there may be trouble, since the FOH specificaly requested that no news coverage be allowed, and has asked X-Factor for help. Unfortunately X-Factor, as well as The Fantastic Four and the Avengers are unavailable at this time. Havok asked if we could attend. I said yes, and he patched me through to Police Commissioner Rawlings. He has made it quite clear we are a last resort, so watch your P's and Q's, people."  
  
*Dat figures,* Gambit thought bitterly to himself. *Dey only call 'cuz de t'ink mutants will attack or dat der will be a riot an' dey can' get no one else to help 'em. A necesary evil.* The last thought made him angry. He forced himself to remain calm and listen to the rest of what Cyclops said.  
  
Cyclops finished briefing them a few minutes later. "Jean will remain here to let the others know exactly what's going on, to send them to Central Park if we need them, and to look after Siku. Let's go." Cyclops gave Jean a passionate kiss and a quick hug then left the room, followed by the others. They all knew the main reason Jean was not going was the baby. Since it was a potentially dangerous situation, neither Scott nor Jean was willing to put their unborn child's life at risk. No one objected.  
  
xxxxxxxx Central Park ten am xxxxxxxx  
  
Cyclops stared at the platform as five members of the FOH stepped onto it. One man wore a business suit; his hair was cut short and his overall appearance was neat. He gave the impression of being a very intelligent man. The other four wore clean dark blue jeans and white sweatshirts with the FOH logo on them. The man in the suit was white as were two of the others. The remaining two where black. Four of them appeared to be around thirty to thirty-five; one of the black men had graying hair that gave him a distinguished look. Cyclops figured him to be around fifty. The first man's appearance made Cyclops wonder how he'd gotten mixed up in with a group like the FOH. Did he have that much hate in him, or was he persuaded by others to believe in the FOH? He didn't look like the kind of person who could be swayed into believing such ignorance.  
  
*Why not?* he thought to himself. *What do those kind of people look like?* He knew there was no answer for that question. Many people where fooled into believing the FOH, giving into their fears rather than listening to their rational side. *Why should this man be any different just because he wears an expensive suit?*  
  
It was chilly even for a late September day. Cyclops couldn't help but wonder if Storm might have had a hand in that. He was glad he had worn his bomber jacket over his uniform. The uniforms they wore were somewhat insulated so he didn't really need the jacket for warmth. He simply wore it because he liked it. When Cyclops had talked to the commissioner, they agreed it would be best if the X-Men wore civilian clothes over their uniforms, only revealing them if absolutely necessary. Instead of wearing the civilian clothes, however, they wore image inducers, giving them the appearance of wearing normal clothes. Cyclops clenched his jaw tight as the man in the business suit approached the podium and began to speak. He didn't know exactly what the man was going to say, but he had a pretty good idea.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the law abiding normal people of this country to get together and force Congress and the President to do something about this mutant menace." A chorus of cheers mixed with a few jeers and hisses rippled through the crowd. "These freaks of nature are growing in number and their powers are getting more and more dangerous. They represent a clear and present danger to all normal people. They use their powers for their own gain with no regard for others' lives or property. They must be controlled." The man practically yelled, slamming his fist on the podium. Another round of cheers swept through the crowd, louder than before, drowning out the jeers. The man smiled evilly, obviously getting the reaction he'd been looking for.  
  
Cyclops felt his jaw clench tighter as the man spoke on. He knew the others were as angry as he was. As the rally wore on, the speakers changed, but their message did not. They simply stated what the men before them did, throwing in personal horror stories of mutant attacks, most of which Cyclops was sure were lies thrown in for effect. He kept his face neutral, careful not to let his anger show. He kept his attention focused on the newest speaker, but let his thoughts drift to his pregnant wife, careful to shield them so she couldn't accidentally overhear them. He didn't want her to know how unsure he was of the fact that he would be bringing another child into this world.  
  
In about six months their child would be born. *Are we making a mistake?* It was a question he'd asked himself a million times in the week sense Jean had told him she was pregnant. *It's very likely this baby will be a mutant. What right do we have bringing this child into a world that will hate and fear him or her simply because he or she is different? A world where he or she would be hunted like an animal, maybe even killed because of those differences?* And then he had the basic fears most men have when they learn they will be a father. *Will I be a good father? Will I be there when he or she needs me?* He also had fears that history would repeat itself. *Will Sinister, or Apocalypse take this baby from me like they did Nathan?* His thoughts where interrupted as he saw Wolverine approach him. He turned and faced the shorter man. The Canadian's face was grim.  
  
"There's gonna be trouble, Cyke," he whispered "I can feel it."  
  
"Yeah. I think you're right." The crowd had grown sinse the rally had started. While the amount of cheers had increased, so had the jeers. The tension was growing; people exchanged hateful glares. "All we can do for now is wait and hope there won't be any trouble." As Cyclops said it, he knew there was little chance the rally would end peacefully. Nothing the FOH did was ever done in a peaceful manner.  
  
*Ain't a snowball's chance in hell this thing's gonna end without some kinda showdown,* Wolverine thought to himself as he walked back to his position. But he knew Cyclops was right. The X-Men could not initiate a confrontation. They would have to wait and see how it played out. That knowledge bugged Wolverine more than almost anything else. Patience was not one of his virtues.  
  
The rally ended at one o'clock. As the people slowly gathered the blankets they'd been sitting on, Cyclops found himself thinking he and Wolverine may have been wrong. That hope was quickly dashed as a man pushed his way through the crowd, clutching a large manilla envelope tightly in his right hand. His clothes were neat and clean, but his face was haggard. Dark circles under his eyes revealed that he likely hadn't slept much, if at all recently. The thick stubble on his face showed he also hadn't seen a razor recently, or made any attempt at grooming the beard. His hair was also disheveled, as if he was constantly running his fingers though it. He stopped about fifteen feet from the podium, right in the middle of the crowd, anger burning clearly in his eyes.  
  
"What gives you the right?" He asked angrily. "Who died and made you God? You stand there preaching about this so-called mutant menace like you know what's best for everyone. Like you have a right to impose your twisted view of normal on everyone. You say mutants aren't normal, not human, and they don't deserve the rights guaranteed to all people by the Constitution. You say they should be locked away in camps. Like the Nazis kept the Jews in during World War Two, maybe?" The man turned to the two black speakers, focusing his attention on the older man. "You say they should be forced to do manual labor to repay humanity for their crimes. Kinda like the blacks who were kept as slaves, then later forced to work jobs for far less then they should have been paid."  
  
The man paused again, letting his words sink in not only to the two men, but the people in the crowd as well, many of whom were black, and old enough to have witnessed the horrors of the aftermath of slavery and segregation. He turned back to the main speaker and spoke again. "You also say that all mutants should be sterilized so they can never have children, so eventually there will be no more mutants. Well, I got a news flash for you, you ignorant prejudiced bastards. Let me introduce myself. My name is Joshua Lee Calvin. I'm a twenty-six year old computer programer. I'm not a mutant, and neither is my wife, Elaine." Joshua stopped talking again and opened the envelope, pulling out a picture and holding it up for the FOH men and the crowd to see. Cyclops stared at the photo, which he assumed was of the man's daughter. She was a beautiful child with light brown hair and the brightest blue eyes Cyclops has ever seen. She appeared to be about five years old. She looked like any other little girl with one exception, she had beautiful blue, green and red wings on her back. "This was my daughter, Sarah. She was a mutant. She was only four and a half years old."  
  
Cyclops and the others couldn't help but notice the man spoke of her in the past tense. The girl was obviously dead, her life taken from her before she really had a chance to live it. That tragedy would explain the man's actions and his anger. Cyclops balled his fists tightly until his hands hurt, his jaw tightening as he listened to the man talk about his little girl. He looked to the faces of his teammates. Their anger was as apparent as his own. Wolverine was rubbing his knuckles, something he did when waiting for the opportunity to unsheathe his deadly claws, and he wore an angry scowl on his face. It was one Cyclops had seen on him too many times before. Storm's face was less readable, only her eyes betraying the anger she felt. The temperature had dropped more, another sign of her anger.  
  
Cyclops was slightly surprised as he looked at Gambit. The Cajun had removed his glasses, something he rarely did in public. His eyes seemed to be glowing with anger; he held his hands in tight fists by his sides. Gambit realized Cyclops was watching him, and why, and quickly put his glasses back on. *I guess I shouldn't be surprised,* Cyclops thought to himself, remembering how Storm had told them how Gambit had taken her in and cared for her when the Nanny had stuck her the body of a child. He was also very close to Siku. The Cajun seemed to have a soft spot for kids. He turned his full attention back to Joshua.  
  
"So, you see, she was no threat to anyone. Her only mutation was her beautiful wings. They took them away from my little Sarah before they killed her. Do you know why she's dead? She bumped into a little girl in her pre K class the day she died. She cried when she got home and told us that she apologized to the girl but the girl called her a freak and pushed her to floor." Joshua's voice became angrier as he recalled the last day he saw his child alive. "That girl's father was a member of the FOH."  
  
Joshua had been facing the crowd, but as he said the last sentence he turned and stared at the man in the suit; who was apparently one of the higher ups in the group. "Later that evening, she went outside to play with our next door neighbor's children. I watched her go over and knock on the door. I watched the kids play for a few minutes and then went in the house. They played together every night. The oldest boy is eleven, so I wasn't worried about them being out alone. He is a very responsible boy and always made sure my daughter and his younger sisters and brother stayed out of the street. That's when they grabbed her." Tears began to roll slowly down Joshua's face. He made no attempt to stop them as he continued on, his voice slightly shaky.  
  
"Matt ran to my house immediately and told me what happened. They were playing tag. Two men jumped out of the back of a van and grabbed Sarah. Matt tried to stop them but one man slammed his fist into the boy's face. A bruise was already evident when he came to my house. I immediately called the police and Matt told them what happened. They found her in a small field behind an abandoned building three miles from my home, pieces of her wings were scattered around her battered body. The doctor said she must have died a slow and painful death. You see, they not only killed her, but they tortured her, too. They used gardening shears, very dull gardening shears, to cut her wings, then slowly beat her to death. They did this to a little girl who was no more a menace to society then a newborn kitten, or puppy."  
  
"Two days later, I found out the father of the girl Sarah accidentally bumped into was one of the ones who grabbed her, and did most of the torture. Apparently the DA is a member of the FOH, or a least a supporter. The day the men where arrested, he dismissed the charges against the three men the police had arrested, siting insufficient evidence as the reason, even though Matt positively identified the two men who grabbed Sarah in a lineup. Two other witnesses stated they saw the van parked in the field at the time of her death. They also traced the registration of the van to a third man, who the police say was the driver." Joshua turned his attention back to the crowd.  
  
"How can you so blindly follow people, no ... monsters, who would do this to an innocent child?" He paused again, wiping the tears from his eyes, so full of pain it made many people in the crowd ask themselves that question. Cyclops noticed that many of them had tears in their own eyes, however, many of them also looked as if they though the men who attacked Sarah had done the public a favor, smug grins on there faces.  
  
"Six weeks ago I had a daughter. Six weeks ago I had a wife, but finding out that not only had our baby been murdered, but that her killers would not be brought to justice drove her over the edge. One week after Sarah's death, Elaine was committed to a mental institution. Six weeks ago I had a life. Now ... I have nothing." Joshua's hung his head low, his shoulders began shaking uncontrollably as the tears poured freely down his cheeks.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Wolverine rubbed his claws, a familiar urge to pop them out and put them to good use flooded through him. In his life he had been called many things; animal, killer, brutal, savage. Many people had fallen victim to his berserker rages. But as he listened to the men on the stage, he wondered who the real animal was. He had never, would never, hurt a child like that. *Those scumbags have the nerve to call muntants monsters, a threat to society, and then they do that to a kid. They're lower than the lowest scum on earth,* he thought to himself. *If I ever run into any of 'em alone, they'll regret the day they where born.*  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
" We did you a favor, Mister Calvin," the man in the suit said. "Freaks like your daughter have no place among normal people." An evil sneer crossed the man's face. "You, filthy, murdering, SON OF A BITCH." Joshua yelled, his voice cracking with anger. "I'll kill you."  
  
He'd just begun to move when the man in the suit pulled out a gun and aimed it at Joshua. Cyclops was the first to react. He fired an optic blast at the gun, knocking it out of the man's hand, but not before he could fire. Cyclops blast had moved the gun enough to keep the bullet from ripping through Joshua's heart, but not his arm. It caught him in his right shoulder, spinning the man around and knocking him to the ground.  
  
"Kill him and any other mutie in the crowd." The man in the suit yelled.  
  
And then all Hell broke loose.  
  
OK, there's part 4 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer. The X-Men and any recognizable characters belong to Marvel, Siku is darqstar's, anyone else is mine. Ask first if you want to borrow 'em. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't waste your time, or mine, suing OK? You wouldn't get anything anyway, I'm flat broke.  
  
~words~ depicts psychic talk  
  
*words* denotes thinking to oneself  
  
Revelations Chapter 5  
  
Cyclops' guard was still up as he surveyed the scene around him. The battle was coming to an end. Thanks to the quick reactions of the X-Men and the NYPD, no civilians, other than Joshua Calvin, had been injured. After firing his initial blast, which had knocked the gun from the FOH member's hand, Cyclops had fired another blast to the man's chest just strong enough to knock the man on the platform unconscious.  
  
Wolverine had quickly subdued the other, older white man before he had the chance to turn his own gun on anyone. He had pinned the man to the ground, the claws on his right hand extended and just barely touching the man's throat, waiting for the man to give him an excuse to run them through the tender flesh.  
  
"Animal," the man said and spat in Wolverine's face. "Freak ."  
  
Wolverine felt his controll slipping, he took a deep breath then pushed his claws a little harder againts the mans neck causing only a few drops of blood to trickle down the side of the man's neck.. "Shut up," he said in a low growl. Wisely, the man laid still and quiet, glaring at Wolverine with an intense look of fear and hatred.  
  
To Wolverine's left, Gambit had control of the young black man. He held the frightened man's sweatshirt in one hand, and a charged playing card in the other. He held the card dangerously close to the young man's face.  
  
Cyclops could see the rage in Gambit's face. *I should stop him before he seriously injures that young man.* Cyclops thought to himself, then changed his mind. *He wanted a chance to prove himself. Well, this is it.* Cyclops knew he was taking a chance by letting it continue, but he was willing to give the Cajun the benefit of the doubt. He was not disappointed as watched Gambit get control of his anger.  
  
Gambit let the energy flow back out of the card. He tossed it to the side where it fizzled harmlessly and disappeared. "You not worth it," he said to the young man as he pulled back his fist. With all the strength he could muster, he hit the young man in the jaw. Gambit let go of the young man's sweatshirt as he slid, unconscious, to the ground.  
  
Cyclops smiled. *He deserved that.* Cyclops then looked a few feet past Gambit, where Storm had managed to subdue the youngest looking FOH member, who had attacked her when she'd changed her clothes into her uniform. Cyclops was surprised to see a trickle of blood coming from the young man's nose. *Apparently Storm can also pack one helluva a punch when she needs to,* he chuckled to himself.  
  
The battle ended swiftly. The two officers stationed by the platform quickly got over their shock. The female officer handcuffed the man on the podium while the male officer walked hesitantly over to Wolverine, gun drawn. Wolverine flipped the man onto his stomach so the officer could cuff him. The young oficer still looked hesitant, the sight of Wolverine's claws obviously worrying him.  
  
"I ain't gonna hurt ya kid, just cuff this scumbag already," Wolverine said in as gentle a tone as his gruff voice voice could manage, while withdrawing his claws.  
  
The young cop hesitated a moment longer. *Hell, if he waned to hurt me, I guess he would have done it, instead of withdrawing his claws. Kinda wish I had a set like that,* he thought to himself as he holstered his gun and cuffed the prisoner. *Certainly would make it easier to manage the wilder ones,* he thought, remebering a particually violent prisoner he'd arrested only two weeks ago. His hand unconsciously went to his jaw and he rubbed the fading bruise from where the man had punched him with his bear-like hands.  
  
Two more officers made their way through what was left of the crowd and arrested the men Gambit and Storm had subdued. The rest of the officers, who had been stationed to the rear of the crowd, also reacted quickly. They arrested the FOH members positioned throughout the crowd, and anyone else who tried to help the FOH.  
  
As he looked around, Cyclops noticed that the fifth man from the platform was nowhere around. He started to walk towards a group of people being interviewed by two police officers when he noticed the man walking towards Joshua. The police had already took a brief statement from him and he was being helped to an ambulance by one of the people who'd been at the rally. The older man walked with his head hung shamefully to his chest. Cyclops stood still and watched silently, waiting to see what older man was up to.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Joshua looked up as the trembling hand touched his shoulder. He was almost to the ambulance. His eyes flared with hatred as he recognized the man who touched him as one of the FOH members from the podium. His speech hadn't been as hateful as the other men's speeches. The man had seemed ... hesitant, unsure if he really believed his own words, but he was one of them nevertheless.  
  
"I know you ain't got no reason to listen to me or believe what I say," the man started hesitantly, his voice trembling almost as much as his hand, "but I'd like you to hear me out 'fore you go." The man said hoping, praying, Joshua would listen to him, his voice an odd combination of southern twang and a New York accent.  
  
"Talk." Joshua said, struggling to keep his anger in check.  
  
The man took a deep breath and began talking. "My name's Darrel Ray James. Two years ago I was approached by two members of the FOH doin' recruitin'. They told me all kinds of stories 'bout how evil and hurtful mutants are. And, well, with all the reports 'bout Apocalypse, and that Magneto fella, and them others, well I believed 'em. I just took them on their word without botherin' to find out the other side of the story." Darrel paused for a second. Then began again.  
  
"I got a granddaughter, Kayla, about your little girls age. I've taken a real shine to that girl. I don't know what I'd do if anyone ever hurt her like what them fella's did to your daughter." He paused again, his voice beginning to shake. He waited till he was sure his voice was steady and began again. "My son Danny, Kayla's daddy, is a judge in Brooklyn. He's been tellin' me some real nasty stories about these FOH people. He told me how ruthless they are and how they'd do anything to get rid of mutants. Got me ta thinkin'. Stubborn as I am though, I stayed with 'em. When I came to the rally today, I was really starting to doubt my decision to join 'em in the first place."  
  
"When you came up there and started tellin' everyone about your little girl, you made me realize that my son was right when he told me I should leave the FOH. He stopped coming 'round a year ago, even stopped me from seein' Kayla. Said he didn't want her growing up hatin' people she didn't even know, 'specially for somethin' that ain't even their fault. I grew up in Georgia in the early forties, you'd think I'd have known such blind, pointless, hate when I'd seen it. Well, it came up and slapped me in the face, plain as day, and I let my fear over rule my better judgment.  
  
I just wanted you to know I had nothing to do with the attack on your daughter. I had no knowledge of it till today. I know that don't really make you feel no different 'bout me. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm real sorry 'bout what happened to your Sarah. I want to let you know that, because of what you said today, I'm quitting the FOH ... as of right now." Darrel took off his sweatshirt and pulled a lighter out of his jeans pocket, then lit the sweatshirt on fire. He let the garment burn for a few seconds, then dropped it in the garbage can he was standing by. He watched it burn a few seconds longer then turned and walked slowly away.  
  
Joshua stared in stunned silence as the sweatshirt burned. He looked to the man who was helping, who was also staring in stunned silence at the burning garment. He slipped his arm from around the man's shoulder and walked up behind Darrel. He raised his good arm and put his hand on the older man's shoulder.  
  
Darrel was surprised by the touch. He turned around and looked at Joshua. The two men stared at each other for a moment, neither man saying anything, needing only that look to convey their thoughts. They smiled, then turned away from each other. Darrel walked out of the park, his shoulders straight and his head held high.  
  
Joshua turned back to the man who was helping him. He looked past the man, and saw the stranger who'd saved his life standing about seventy feet from him. The man was smiling. Apparently he'd been watching what had just happened. He smiled at the man and mouthed the words "Thank you."  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Cyclops' smile widened as he realized Joshua had noticed him and mouthed a silent thank you. He nodded at the young man, and watched as the man nodded back, then walked to the waiting ambulance. Cyclops turned to see his teammates talking to the officers who'd cuffed Wolverine and Gambit's prisoners, and a third officer. Storm and Wolverine had their backs to him, the young male officer and another older looking male officer were taking their statements. Gambit was a few yards closer to him. The Cajun was facing him, his statement being taken by the female officer. Cyclops couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable the Cajun looked. He remembered once hearing Gambit say there where only two kinds of thieves who said they weren't nervous or uncomfortable around cops. Liars ... and fools.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Gambit spoke quickly as he gave his statement to the officer. He knew the officer had seen what had happened, but it was police procedure to get a written statement from everyone who'd been involved, or had witnessed what had happened. He wished she would hurry up and let him go. Gambit had nothing against the woman personally, he just wasn't comfortable around cops. They weren't to hospitable towards people in his former profession. *Or my current one, non?* he thought to himself. He looked past the officer and noticed Cyclops looking at him. He watched as Cyclops scanned the park, apparently looking for any signs that there might be more trouble.  
  
"Excuse me sir ... sir?" The young officer looked over her shoulder to the man Gambit was now watching. She knew, from what Gambit had told her, that the man was Cyclops, leader of the X-Men. She'd seen Gambit's eyes and therefore knew why he wore the shades, but she couldn't understand why Cyclops wore the visor over his eyes. *He's handsome.* she though to herself. *Probably has beautiful eyes too. I wish he's take that visor off so I can see them.* She pushed the errant thoughts from her mind and looked back at Gambit, who was still watching Cyclops. "Uhhh ... sir ... Gambit ... what happened next?" She asked. *What the hell kind of name is Gambit anyway,* she thought to herself. She knew, judging by the names of his friends, that is was a code name, but she couldn't understand why he called himself that. At least the other people's name's made sense.  
  
The gruff looking one, Wolverine, resembeled the animal that he took his name from. Storm, who had such a sereneness about her, apparantly controlled the weather. She recalled the quick burst of thunder that rumbled when the white-haired women had struck the man she'd captured. And the man wearing the visor, whom Gambit had identified as their leader, Cyclops, very much resembled the mythical creature of the same name.  
  
Gambit heard the officer's question and was about to answer, when something on Cyclops' uniform caught his eye. There was a purplish colored dot that appeared to be dancing around on Cyclops' chest. Realization of what it was hit him like a ton of bricks. *Dat dot ain' purple, it's red!* He thought to himself. *A sniper. Someone's gonna try 'n kill Scott! Not if I c'n help it.* He took off in a dead run towards Cyclops, startling the officer questioning him.  
  
"Hey, I'm not done with you yet." She shouted at Gambit.  
  
He heard her yell. He ignored her and kept running. "Cyclops, look out," he yelled. *Please let me get to 'im in time.*  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Cyclops was reasonably sure that everything had calmed down. As he surveyed the park, he once again found his thoughts drifting to his wife. He wished she were there with him, but he took comfort simply in feeling her presence in his mind. However, this was one mission they could have really used her on. If she had been there, she would have picked up on the angry, violent thoughts of the young man lurking in the woods.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
"Stupid goddamn mutie freak," a man whispered angrily to himself. He has been in the woods during the whole rally. He's been stationed there just in case they needed a sniper. He fumbled with the zipper on his pants, then picked up his rifle again. *Just my lousy fucking luck Mother Nature decides to call just as that gene-joke freak blasts my brother. That's a big mistake on your part one-eye, and I'm gonna make you pay for it.* The man aimed his rifle at his target, not seeing the other man running towards his target, and pulled the trigger.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Cyclops quickly looked back towards Gambit as he heard the younger X- Man call his name. He was surprised to see Gambit running towards him. "Gambit, what the ... " Cyclops didn't get the chance to finish his question as he heard the gunshots, then he was falling to the ground. He grunted as he hit his head on a large rock. Hard. Cyclops fought the darkness that threatened to engulf him. He opened his eyes. He was laying on the ground, Gambit was on his side deathly still in front of him. Cyclops gently rolled him onto his back. The Cajun's eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow.  
  
"Gambit ...?" Cyclops removed Gambit's glasses, his eyes were shut. *What happened?* He asked himself, looking worriedly at Gambit, who laid deathly still. He put Gambit's glasses back on him. Then he saw the growing red spots on Gambit's uniform. *Those were gunshots.* He thought to himself, as his mind cleared somewhat. One red spot on his right shoulder, the other on his chest, dangerously close to his heart. *Someone just tried to kill me. Gambit saved my life!* Cyclops got to his knees and picked up the wounded Cajun with great effort, then shakily got to his feet, Gambit laying limp in his arms.  
  
Storm and Wolverine immediately ran to their fallen friends' sides. The two officers who'd been taking their statements ran into the woods in the direction they believed the shots had come from. "Gambit's been shot,"  
  
Cyclops told them, struggling to keep the blackness from engulfing him as his friends ran up to them. "To the Blackbird, now."  
  
They all ran towards the Blackbird, Cyclops a few steps behind, struggling with Gambit's weight and the dizzying pain in his head. Any other time Cyclops would likely have been at the head of the group.  
  
Wolverine noticed Cyclops lagging and slowed his pace to allow him to catch up. He thought he smelled Cyclops' blood as well as Gambit's, but he couldn't be sure. *Cyke's hurt too. I know it," Wolverine thought to himself. *Damn Cajun's bleeding so much I can't tell if the blood's his alone, or if Cyke was shot too.* Cyclops' uniform was covered with Gambit's blood. "Let me take him Cyke."  
  
"No. You run ahead and prep the medi-slab," he told Wolverine. He knew Storm would prep the jet for take off.  
  
Wolverine hesitated a second, debating whether he should listen to his gut which was telling him that Cyclops wasn't as fine as he claimed to be, or doing as he was told. *Can't be hurt too bad if he can carry Gumbo and run like he is.* So he ran ahead to the Blackbird.  
  
Cyclops entered the jet a minute after Wolverine. He placed Gambit on the medi-slab as Wolverine finished preparing it and went into the cockpit where Storm already had the engines running. He put his hand on her shoulder giving it a light squeeze. "Go help Wolverine with Gambit." He told her. She usually copiloted, but she was concerned for her friend. If she had paid more attention, she might have heard the pain in Cyclops' voice, barely evident as it was. She might also have noticed the dark spot on the back of Cyclops' head. Then she would have insisted on flying the jet herself while he rested. But she was so caught up in her concern for Gambit, she didn't notice.  
  
"He'll be OK." Scott reasurred her.  
  
Storm took Cyclops' hand in hers, returned his gentle squeeze with a thankful smile, and left the cockpit.  
  
Cyclops turned on the radio and contacted the mansion as the Blackbird took off. "Jean, are the others back yet? Was Hank with them?" He asked. He'd deliberately used the radio instead of their rapport, to keep her from sensing his pain.  
  
"Yes. They just arrived a few minutes ago. What's going on ?" She asked. She had the television turned on and was watching the news while waiting for the team to return. "Every news station is running reports that a riot broke out at the rally, but was quickly controlled by the police and the X-Men. Then, a few minutes later shots were heard. The police went into the woods in the direction of the shots, then the X-Men disappeared." She said, telling Scott what she'd seen and heard from the reports. The reporters had turned their cameras to follow the police, missing the X-Men's retreat. She paused for a second, puzzled by her husbands silence and wondered why he was using the radio rather than their rapport. "Are you OK, Scott? Were you hurt?"  
  
"No," he lied "I'm fine. Gambit has been shot. It looks pretty bad." He quickly told her what had happened. "Have Hank get the medi-lab ready. We'll be there in two minutes," he said. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the dizziness, and instantly regretted it as a wave of pain thundered through his head. He winced at the pain.  
  
Jean gasped as she heard Cyclops' news. "All right, I'll tell him." Then she heard Scott's wince over the radio. "You are hurt," she accused. "Ororo or Logan should be flying the Blackbird." Her voice was a mix of anger, concern, and fear.  
  
"No." He said, his voice much harsher then he'd intended. He softened his voice as he spoke again. "I'm fine Jean ... really. Gambit is the one in danger here. We're landing now." He abruptly cut off the radio as he finished talking. Cyclops landed the Blackbird, powering it down as he pulled into the hanger bay. He let out a heavy sigh as he got up and retrieved Gambit, carrying the injured X-Man off the jet.  
  
Jean was surprised and a little hurt by her husband's abruptly ending the conversation. He was hurt, she was sure of it now. As much as he tried to shield it from her, she could feel it. ~You are quite possibly the most infuriatingly stubborn man I have ever met, Scott Summers,~ she scolded him. She sighed as she got only a slight chuckle in response.  
  
~Hank, prepare the medi-lab.~ She told Hank. ~The others are back, and Gambit has been shot. Scott said it looks pretty bad, ~ she quickly filled him in on what Scott had told her.  
  
Hank, who was already in the medi-lab, acknowledged her. He sighed, said a silent prayer for Gambit, then set about getting everything he'd need.  
  
Jean headed for the hanger bay, arriving just as the Blackbird touched down. Logan came out first, a grim look on his face. Then Ororo came down the ramp, silent tears staining her cheeks. She was followed closely by Scott, who'd once again insisted on carrying Gambit. She gasped as she saw the young Cajun laying limp in her husbands arms, eyes shut. His armor was covered in blood and his face was pale. Cyclops' face was also a little pale, his mouth was drawn into a tight line, face grim. His own uniform was soaked with Gambit's blood. He walked quickly as he headed for the medi-lab; Jean, Ororo, and Logan beside him.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Cyclops gently laid Gambit down on the bed.  
  
"You'll have to wait in the waiting room with the others, Scott," Hank said. When Scott didn't move Hank spoke again. "There's nothing more you can do here." He gently laid a hand on Scott's shoulder. Then he noticed that Scott also looked pale. "You don't look so hot yourself, my friend. Go sit in the waiting room with the others and relax. I want to see you when I'm done with Remy." Hank was worried about Scott. *He has a concussion, I'm sure of it, but there is nothing I can do for him now. Remy's condition is much worse than his is.*  
  
"Yeah, OK," Scott said. He wanted to stay, but his headache was getting worse, and his vision was beginning to cloud again. He knew he had to either sit down, or lean against something or he'd pass out. When he was younger, Scott had earned a black belt in Judo. As the number of missions and the size of the team increased, his life got more hectic and he'd slowly drifted away from Judo. As his vision grew even fuzzier, he closed his eyes and concentrated on remembering the breathing techniques he'd learned. He slowly breathed in and out, as he'd been taught, willing the pain and dizziness away. He opened his eyes, took one last look at Gambit, who now had Hank's full attention, and walked into the waiting room.  
  
xxxx One hour later xxxx  
  
Hank walked into the waiting room rubbing the back of his neck. He looked into the worried faces of his friends. He looked at Rogue, the sassy young southerner who loved Remy more than she cared to admit, but could never show it. Storm was there, who loved him like a brother. Also there was Logan, who shared the younger man's affections for beer, cigarettes and late nights out. Then there was Jean, who over the years had become a somewhat reluctant den mother to everyone, and a friend of Gambit. Finally, there was Scott, who had never completely trusted Gambit (and made no secret of the fact), but had nevertheless accepted Gambit as a member of the team, and his family.  
  
Everyone stood as Hank entered the waiting room. "Remy will be fine. One of the bullets hit his right shoulder causing some nerve damage, but it's nothing a little time and some rehab won't heal." Hank added the last part quickly as he saw the worried look on Rogue's face. "It appears our Cajun friend's charm powers work on bullets as well as people." He continued, only half joking. "The other bullet struck him in the chest, narrowly missing his heart and all major veins. Luckily for him, it did no major damage to the surrounding tissue." Then his voice somber. "Even one more centimeter to the right, however, and we'd be looking at a completely different picture," he told them, letting his tone say what his words implied.  
  
"C'n Ah see him, Hank?" Rogue asked.  
  
"He's still unconscious, but I know he'd like to see you when he wakes up."  
  
Rogue nodded and walked into the medi-lab. Everyone was so relieved to hear that Remy would recover, that no one noticed Scott slowly, shakily sit back down on the small sofa he and Jean had been sharing. He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands, and closed his eyes. Hank looked over to Scott as Rogue went in to be with Remy. *My stars. He looks much paler then he did before.* Hank thought to himself. "Scott, could I see you in the medi-lab for a moment, please," he asked Scott calmly, not wishing to alarm the others. Scott opened his eyes, just barely visible behind his ruby quartz glasses, and looked at Hank. *His pupils are dilated as well. I fear his concussion may be worse than I originally thought.*  
  
Scott got unsteadily to his feet, took a shaky step, and pitched forward. Jean reacted quickly, catching her husband with her telekinesis before Scott could hit the ground.  
  
"Scott!" The others all gasped in shock.  
  
Hank picked up the unconscious Scott and cradled him in his arms like an infant. "He has a concussion," he told the others, then quickly turned and walked into the medi-lab, a very worried Jean close behind him.  
  
Ten minutes later Hank went back into the waiting room. Warren, Betsy, and Bobby, who'd gone out for lunch upon returning to the mansion, had returned and where now waiting with Logan and Ororo. The five friends looked at Hank, faces etched with worry.  
  
"Logan and 'Ro filled us in." Warren said. "How's Scotty?"  
  
"He has a very serious concussion, and he's lost some blood. He'll have a monster of a headache when he wakes up, and will need to stay in bed for a few days, but he will be fine." "Can we go in?" Bobby asked.  
  
"They're both sleeping now, but as long as you are all quiet, I see no problem with that. It will have to be a short visit for now."  
  
They all nodded and followed Hank in to the medi-lab, thankful their friends would be all right.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Scott opened his eyes slowly, and immediately shut them against the blinding light.  
  
"Scott? Scott, ... honey can you hear me? Hank, I think he's waking up."  
  
"It's about time," Hank said from behind his desk. He got up, stretched, and walked over to Scott's bed. "Come on, Scotty. Time to rejoin the land of the living."  
  
The voices sounded distant to Scott as he slowly reopened his eyes, blinking rapidly to bring the blurry faces into focus. "Hiya, beautiful," he said weakly, looking into Jean's worried eyes.  
  
"Hi yourself, handsome," she said back, letting her relief flood through her rapport with Scott.  
  
"Ya had us worried for a while there, sugah," Rogue said as she walked from Remy's bed to Scott's.  
  
"Quite worried, my friend," Hank said. "You see, when someone has a concussion the general consensus is that the person should be kept awake for a period of no less twenty four hours immediately following the injury to make sure their are no ill effects. You, however, lost consciousness and stubbornly refused to wake up." Hank said, only half teasing. His voice then grew series. "How do you feel?" He asked.  
  
"Like a thousand little men are trying to jackhammer their way out of my skull," he said, managing weak smile. He turned his head and looked over at Gambit. "How is ... arghh ... oww," Scott started to say, then moaned as he attempted to sit up, instantly regretting the decision as a wave of pain crashed through his head.  
  
"Take it easy, Scott. Your concussion is pretty serious," Jean said as she and Hank gently forced him to lay back down.  
  
"If you should attempt to rise again, I shall be forced to tie you to this bed," Hank warned Scott with a toothy grin, as Scott attempted to get up again. "Now lie still."  
  
Scott smiled at him and did as he was told. "How is he," he asked pointing to the still unconscious Remy.  
  
"He's gonna be fine, sugah," Rogue answered. "What exactly happened out there?" Jean had filled her in with as much as she knew.  
  
"That's a good question," Xavier said as he entered the medi-lab. The rest of the team followed behind him, Bobby still trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Xavier had called a few hours ago, and upon hearing of Remy and Scott's condition, quickly returned home. Storm had filled him in over the phone on what had happened up until the time the shots where fired. They had all waited anxiously for Jean to telepathically alert them when either Scott or Remy had awakened.  
  
Scott gave them a brief summary of the rally, then told them about Joshua and how he'd witnessed what had happened between the FOH member and Joshua. He then explained how Gambit had yelled out his name and leapt at him. He then told of hitting his head on the rock, and turning Gambit over to see the two wounds on his chest. "I carried him to the Blackbird and we came home," he finished. He paused for a moment, looking at each of his teammates. He looked at Rogue, Warren, and Bobby who all stood together, then spoke again. "He saved my life." Everyone was quiet as they let Scott's last sentence sink in. They all felt guilty, some much more then others, about ever doubting Gambit's loyalty to the team, and of how they'd treated him the last five months.  
  
"All right everyone, Scott needs his rest," Hank told them as he noticed Scott's unsuccessful attempt to stifle a yawn. They all nodded and said goodnight. All except Rogue, who returned to Remy's side, and Jean, who remained by Scott.  
  
Scott stifled another yawn and looked at Jean. "You should go too, hun," Scott told her. "You look exhausted. How long was I out?"  
  
"Almost fifteen hours. You took quite a blow to the head when you hit that rock. Of course, it didn't help that you then carried Remy to the jet, flew it home, and then waited up for Hank to tell us how he was." She looked at him sternly. "I'm staying here with you. I'm not that tired."  
  
Scott looked at her sheepishly, then put his hand on her still flat (but not for long) stomach. "The baby agrees with me you know."  
  
"Oh really?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, really."  
  
"And how do you know that?" She asked in amusement.  
  
"Father's intuition," he answered with a smile. "Seriously Jean, I'm fine. Please, go get some rest," he told her. He saw the dark circles under her eyes and knew she had been awake the whole time.  
  
Jean smiled at him, then gently kissed his forehead. "Okay. You're right. I guess I could use a short nap. I'll come back as soon as I wake up." She kissed him again, said goodnight to Rogue and Hank, and left.  
  
Scott smiled as he watched her leave. He knew it was likely she wouldn't be back before morning, and let sleep claim him once again.  
  
end chapter 5  
  
Notes: When possible, it is general practice to keep a person with a concussion awake for a while. I'm not sure how long a person should be kept awake, my brother had a concussion a few years back. My Dad said he thinks the doctor told my him and my Mom to keep my brother awake for twenty four hours. Here are a few facts that I found on a webpage.  
  
DEFINITION--A violent jar or shock to the brain that causes an immediate change in brain function, including possible loss of consciousness.  
  
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:  
  
MILD CONCUSSION: Temporary loss of consciousness. Memory loss (amnesia). Emotional instability.  
  
SEVERE CONCUSSION: Prolonged unconsciousness. Dilated pupils. Change in breathing. Disturbed vision. Disturbed equilibrium. Memory loss.  
  
Check out this site, http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/sports/sport263.html, for more info. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer. The X-Men and any recognizable characters belong to Marvel, Siku is darqstar's, anyone else is mine. Ask first if you want to borrow 'em. I'm not making any money off of this, so don't waste your time, or mine, suing OK? You wouldn't get anything anyway, I'm flat broke.  
  
~words~ depicts psychic talk  
  
*words* denotes thinking to oneself  
  
//words// is flashbacks  
  
Revelations Chapter 6  
  
Rogue sat quietly at Remy's bedside waiting for him to wake up again. He'd awakened briefly earlier that morning, smiled at her and Ororo, then fell almost immediately back to sleep. Rogue was glad for a moment alone with Remy, even if he was asleep. Ororo had left to water her plants and get a little something to eat. Rogue didn't really count Scott, because he too was asleep. He had slept almost as much as Remy had during the past three days since the rally. Hank said it was good for him, Scott rarely got enough sleep unless he was forced to. *Blue Boy is right. * Rogue thought to herself, as she glanced at Scott. *That man works himself too hard. Maybe that's why we all respect him so much. 'Cuz he works hard and he cares about all of us. Even the ones he don't really like too much. *  
  
"'Ello chere." Remy said softly.  
  
Rogue, startled by Remy's voice, looked back at Remy. "Hi sugah. Don't you eva scare me like that again swamp rat, ya hear?" Rogue gently scolded him as she fought back the tears of joy that welled behind her eyes.  
  
"I won'," Remy said, then turned his head to look at Scott. "How is he? He gonna be all right," he asked with genuine concern.  
  
"Hank says he's gonna be fine. He hit his head on a rock when ya knocked into him. Got a pretty nasty cut and a bad concussion, but that's it. Hank says with a couple more days rest he'll be good as new," she paused for a second, then continued, "thanks to you. He said you saved his life. He's the one that carried you back to the Blackbird and inta the med-lab. When Ah saw all that blood on the two of ya ... Ah was so scared. I thought I'd lost ya. Remy, I'm so sorry for the way Ah been treatin' ya. Ah was so ..."  
  
Remy put a finger to his mouth, "shhh" he said, cutting her off. "Don't, chere. Remy un'erstand. Ya had a right to be angry with me. You all did. What I did wasn't right, no matter the reason. I'm gonna be a better man, chere. I swear it."  
  
"You already are a good man." Rogue said, then gently kissed him on the top of his head.  
  
"He really carried me himself? Even tho' he was hurt?" He asked her in disbelief.  
  
"Yup, Jean wasn't none too happy 'bout it either. Threatened some pretty nasty things if he eva pulled a stunt like that again." She smiled at the memory of Jean's coversation with Scott earlier that morning. "I think she understands why, though."  
  
Remy chuckled softly, then asked "Where's Ro?" He remembered seeing her when he'd briefly awakened earlier that day, and wondered where she'd gone.  
  
"She went ta water her plants and eat. I'll get her back in here. She'll be happy ta see you're awake." Rogue started to get up but Remy stopped her.  
  
"Non, tell her to get some sleep. You should too. You look exhausted, chere."  
  
Rogue started to protest then stopped. He was right. She was exhausted, as was Ororo. "All right sugah. I'll take a nap and come back ta see ya later. "'Night."  
  
"'Night, chere." Before Rogue even made it to the door, he was sound asleep again.  
  
xxxxx The next day xxxxx  
  
Scott sat quietly on the mansion roof, basking in the warmth of the early autumn sun. The weather was unseasonably warm. A mild breeze blew gently. New York's autumns were often colder, requiring its residents to wear a jacket or at least a heavy sweater. Scott was wearing his favorite pair of worn blue jeans and a light denim shirt Jean had given him on his birthday. He knew Ororo was the reason for the warm weather. Remy had finally woken up the previous morning, putting Ororo in an extremely good mood. Either she or Rogue had been sitting with him around the clock since Hank had finished the surgery four days ago, until yesterday, when he had woken up for a few seconds. Scott found out late last night that Remy had woken up again that afternoon and had promptly sent both Rogue and Ororo to bed for some much needed sleep.  
  
"Hello, Remy," Scott said as Remy came onto the roof.  
  
Remy stopped for a second, startled. Not only had Scott known it was him, but he'd called him Remy! *I been here all dis time an he ne'er called me anyt'ing but Gambit or LeBeau.* Gambit pushed that thought aside and focused on the other thing that had startled him. "You telepathic too now, homme?"  
  
"No. I have very good hearing. I heard you sigh. I'm assuming it's because you saw me." He said, then added "Often times, when someone loses one or more of their senses, one or more of the other senses is heightened. I guess that also goes for people who have had a sense ...," Scott paused for a second, unsure of how to phase what he wanted to say, " ... impaired. Shortly after I awoke from my coma I started having headaches and trouble with my eyes. That's also when I realized that my hearing was a lot better than it was before the accident." Scott went silent as he thought of all the things the couples who'd brought him back to the orphanage had said.  
  
// "He's always so quiet," a woman says. "He barely says anything more than yes ma'am or sir, or no ma'am or sir."  
  
"It's not that we don't like then boy Miss Branson," a man says "we just want a more normal kid." The man looks to the woman, his wife, who spoke before. "Right, Jess?"  
  
"Right Travis." She says softly. Truth be told, she wants to keep Scott. * He's such a polite little boy, and so alone, * she thinks to herself, *but he gave me a healthy little girl. Who am I to deny him that in a son?* She pauses in her own thoughts for a moment. *If he just tried a little harder, maybe he could get through to Scott. He's just too quick to judge people,* she thinks harshly, then brushes the thought away. The woman is jarred from her thoughts as her husband takes her hand and stands.  
  
"Still, Miss Branson, he obviously has problems. He needs help that we just can't give him. We have a young daughter at home and we just don't have time to give the boy that much attention. You should have told us about his problems before we took him home," Travis says as he turns to leave.  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mister West," she says sadly as the couple leaves her office.  
  
Behind the closed door, a little boy stands unnoticed. He hangs his head as he listens to the adults talk about him. When they stop, he runs down the hall as quietly as he can, silent tears streaming down his cheeks.//  
  
// "That kid ain't normal, Miss Branson. You should have told us all this before we took him home. He is dangerous for Christ's sake! What if he'd hurt someone? We can't be responsible for a boy like that." The woman stands and she and her husband walk out of the office.  
  
The same boy, now eleven, listens through the shut door. Once again the tears stream down his slender cheeks as he runs as quietly as he can down the hall.//  
  
// "He's a damn freak! He put a hole through my kitchen wall! Through the wall!" The man repeats, nearly screaming, his face red with anger. "Freaks like him have no place with normal people. He shouldn't even be near any of these other kids. You shouldn't be trying to find that freak a home, you should be having him locked away." With that said the man and his wife storm out of the office.  
  
Miss Branson sighs as the couple leaves. She has a lump in her throat and the man's angry words make her feel sick to her stomach. *The older he gets the more harshly he's rejected. Why can't they look past his mutation and see what a wonderful, special boy Scott is,* she thinks to herself. *I'd adopt him myself if I could. Damn that stupid rule,* she thinks as she gets to her feet. The orphanage has a strict rule. No spouse, no adoption. She sighs and decides to take a walk outside. As she walks, she passes a small bush, and hears muffled sobbing. She looks behind the bush and sees Scott sitting with his hands over his eyes.  
  
She kneels in front of him and places a hand on his shoulder. "You heard, I guess?"  
  
He looks up at her, tears falling silently down his cheeks, and nods.  
  
"Oh Scott ... I'm so sorry Scott."//  
  
"Scott ... Scott, are you OK, mon ami," Remy asked with concern, placing his good hand on Scott's shoulder. With some effort, he sat down beside Scott.  
  
Scott shook his head gently as he heard Remy call his name, and the memories faded. "Fine," he said. "I was just ... nevermind. So, what are you doing up here? Hank will flip if he finds out you left the med-lab. He will really flip if he finds out your up here," he said, and grinned as Remy sat down beside him.  
  
"I 'ad to get out of dere. 'E was drivin' me nuts, an' tryin' to use me as a pin cushion. What 'bout you? You might 'ave been paroled dis mornin', but if Hank finds out you been up here he won't be happy 'bout dat."  
  
"I needed to be alone for a while, to think. Besides, what Hank doesn't know won't hurt him," Scott said. The two men sat in awkward silence as they watched the sun slowly set.  
  
"I lied to her." Scott said after what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes. He was surprised that he'd just said that aloud. He rarely opened up to anyone about things like that, and never to Remy. He and Remy had never been close. The two rarely talked about anything that wasn't somehow related to the X-Men. He wasn't sure why he was about to open up to Remy now. He just knew he needed to talk to someone, and Remy was here now.  
  
"Uhh ... who you lied to," Remy asked in shock and confusion. He wasn't sure if Scott was talking to him, or just didn't realize he was thinking out loud.  
  
"Jean," He answered, then paused for a second. "When she told me about the baby, I told her I was nothing but happy. I acted like I was so sure everything would be fine. I'm not. I'm scared, Remy. You know, I've faced giant mutant killing sentinels, a thousand year old maniac mutant with a twisted view of how the world should be and wants to rule it, a magnetic mutant as full of hate for normal humans as they are for us, and more other crazy stuff then most men twice my age have ever faced or will. And none of that scares me as much as the knowledge that I'm going to be a father ... again. I'm afraid I'm going to screw up this kids life too." Scott was quiet again as he watched the sky. He didn't really expect Remy to say anything. He wondered what possessed him to say anything in the first place.  
  
Remy was silent for a moment, still shocked and somewhat confused that Scott just confided in him, and called him by his first name. *I've been here all dis time an' dis the first time he didn't call me Gambit or LeBeau.* Remy pushed that thought aside and focused on what Scott said. He turned to Scott and placed his good hand on Scott's shoulder again. Then spoke from the heart.  
  
"I know I wasn' 'round when all that stuff went down wit' Nate, but I 'eard 'bout most of it from de ot'ers. Dey say you did everyt'ing you could to help your boy. From what I've seen since I been here, I believe dem. Maybe you'd ne'er win father of de year, but even a blind man can see how much you love your son. Even if you won't tell him dat. You do your best to protect de people you care about, Scott," Remy said. "You can' keep blamin' yoourself for what 'appened to Nate after you an' Jean where taken away from 'im." He was silent for a moment as he remembered how fiercely Scott had protected Siku during Creed and Marko's "visit". Remy had heard Scott say the phrase, "X-Men don't kill", more times then he cared to count. He'd been surprised that day, to realize that Scott would not have hesitated to kill either of the intruders if he though they'd try to hurt Siku. There had been an intense hatred and anger on Scott's face that Remy had never seen before. *How many of de ot'ers caught it?* He wondered absently to himself. "I'm sure you'll be a good Papa."  
  
Scott said nothing at first, still surprised at their openness with each other and unsure of what to say. "Thanks," he said finally, then he began to chuckle.  
  
"What's so funny, mon ami," Remy asked, confused.  
  
"Jean and Hank got back a few minutes ago. She has informed me that Hank, despite her best efforts, just found out you're not in the med-lab. You'd better get down there now before he realizes where you are."  
  
The awkwardness that seemed to hang in the air dessipitated as Remy chuckled. "Maybe you should come down too."  
  
"Yeah, in a few minutes."  
  
"OK, but if Hank finds out you're up here, Remy not be de only one to suffer his wrath," Remy teased. "I don' t'ink Jean be to happy 'bout it ei'her."  
  
"She isn't." Scott chuckled.  
  
"Don' be to long. It's gettin' cold," Remy said. He then turned and walked back down to the med-lab. He smiled as he left, feeling for the first time that he truly belonged here.  
  
Scott watched Remy leave then turned back to the setting sun. As he stared at the beautiful colors spreading along the horizon, wishing he could actually see all the colors, he thought about what had just happened. *I guess I really misjudged him. Maybe because I was too damn stubborn to realize the truth,* Scott thought to himself. *He's not as flippant as he acts.* Scott stood and stretched as the sun finally finished its descent. As he walked back inside he vowed to himself never to judge anyone so quickly again, based solely on his first impression.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Rogue stretched and yawned as she slowly opened her eyes. She had gone back to sit with Remy after taking a nap the previous afternoon. He hadn't woken up again that night, but she'd stayed with him. He'd shooed her off again a few hours ago, and she had to admit, the nap felt good. She walked to the bathroom and stripped. Once in the shower she turned on the water and revelled in its warmth, letting her thoughts drift. She'd been so relieved when Remy had first woken up yesterday morning. She'd cursed herself for treating Gambit so badly, for ever doubting his loyalty to the X-Men. Rogue finished her shower quickly and got dressed. She walked down the hall with renewed hope and confidence as she headed down the stairs to the Professor's office.  
  
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  
  
Xavier sat quietly at his desk going over the reports Senator Williams had sent. The hostility there seemed to have settled down a bit in the four days since he and the others had returned. News of what had happened after the rally in Central Park had spread like wildfire throughout the country. Many states also reported a decrease, if only a slight one, in the hostility against mutants. The Professor knew it was only a small step, a very small step. *But at least,* the Professor thought to himself, *it is a start. A step in the right direction.*  
  
He knew Rogue was coming before she even reached his door and had a chance to knock. He had a good idea what she wanted and smiled. He had been waiting for her to take this next step for some time now.  
  
"Come in Rogue," he said, just as she reached the door and knocked. He watched silently as she took a deep breath and walked up to his desk with so much more confidence and determination then she'd had when she first came to the mansion. "What would you like to talk about, Rogue," Xavier asked, his smile growing as she said what he'd expected.  
  
Rogue took one more deep breath, then answered. "Professor, if ya still think ya can ... Ah'd like ya ta help me learn ta control mah powers."  
  
Epilogue  
  
The television screen flickers as the man holding the remote flips through the channels. He stops when he sees the program he's been looking for. The screen shows a news room -- a man and a woman sit at a desk. They both look up as the program begins.  
  
"Two months ago we brought you the story of Joshua Lee Calvin, a young man whose life was torn apart when his four and-a-half year old daughter, who was a mutant, was kidnapped, tortured, and killed," the woman anchor says, then looks at the man beside her.  
  
"That's right, Kate. According to Mister Calvin, his daughter Sarah accidentally bumped into another child in her Pre-K class. Sarah apologized to the other girl. The other girl called her a freak and pushed her to the floor. It is speculated that the girl's father, Jackson Morgan, than conspired with Michael Moore, Samuel James Lennon, and Shane Michael Lennon, to kidnap young Sarah Calvin. All four suspects were arrested and subsequently released. District Attorney Larry Ross cited insufficient evidence as the reason for the dismissal.  
  
The camera focuses back on the woman anchor. "We now go to Sue Ling at the New York City Police Station for an update." The screen switches again and shows a young Asian women standing in front of a police department.  
  
"Because of unexpected public outcry, the case was reopened shortly after Mister Calvin's speech at the FOH rally. Arrest warrants were issued for the four suspects. Just before they left the police station, an unexpected development arose. They received an anonymous phone call reporting an accident that just occurred in an alley by First Street and Lincoln Boulevard. The description of the van matched the van used in the Calvin case. When police arrived, they found the van turned on its side, shattered glass from the windows all around the vehicle. The four men all had blood alcohol levels far above the legal limit. They sustained minor injuries. We haven't yet been allowed to talk to the men, nor have their statements been made public. I was, however, able to talk to the officer in charge of the case."  
  
The scene switches once again, this time to the alley where the accident occurred. There are small white letters across the top right corner of the screen saying: Recorded Earlier Today. The same reporter is approaching an officer at the scene. The audio cuts in just as the conversation begins.  
  
"How did you learn of the suspect's whereabouts, Sergeant Peters?" the reporter asks.  
  
"At approximately seven P.M. we received a phone call from a man saying a van had just flipped in an alley way. The caller claimed he recognized the van and the men in it from earlier news coverage on the Calvin kidnapping. When we arrived at the scene the four men were sitting in the alley. They claimed to see monsters, one with one long red eye, one with red on black eyes, one with blue fur, and one with metal claws. They claim these creatures roughed them up a bit and threatened to kill them if they tried to leave the alley."  
  
"What was your reaction to this, Sergant Peters?"  
  
"All three men reeked of alcohol. We deduced that the men had been drinking heavily. They somehow lost control of the van. It flipped onto its side and skidded into the alley."  
  
"Were there any witnesses?"  
  
"Two women say they saw the van lose control and skid into the alley. They say they saw only the four men come out of the van. The alley was dark and they couldn't see clearly, but both women are sure the alley was empty."  
  
The scene switches back to the police station.  
  
"The suspects were taken to County General hospital. They were treated for minor injuries and released into police custody. The driver of the van is being charged with drunk driving. The other three men are charged with public drunkeness (being drunk in public)."  
  
The reporter pauses and the anchor woman's voice is heard. "Sue, what penalties are the DA seeking?"  
  
"If convicted of the drunk driving charge, Mister Moore faces a mandatory six month loss of his license and up to thirty-five hundred dollars in fines and legal fees. The other three face five hundred dollars in fines and one month of community service. However, because of the serverity of the other crimes, it is highly unlikely the DA will persue the drunk driving and public drunkeness charges. He, most likely, will focus on the other charges which carry much stiffer penalties."  
  
"All four men are being charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, and child abuse. Mister Morgan, believed to have dealt the killing blow, is also being charged with first degree murder. While the other three men are charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Each of the men face life in prison without parole. The DA says, because of the brutality of the attack and murder, he is considering requesting the death penalty. Even if the men are given the death penalty, it is unlikely they will ever be executed."  
  
"Why is that?" The male anchor asks.  
  
"Because, Adam, there are currently twenty inmates on Death Row in New York prisons. One of the inmates has been on Death Row for eighteen years. The state of New York has not carried out a death sentence since the infamous Martin Quinn was electrocuted in 1952. Reporting live from the New York City Police Department, this Sue Ling of Channel Six WKYX New York."  
  
The screen now switches back to the news room. "Well, Adam, it's good to see that there will finally be justice for little Sarah Calvin and her family."  
  
"Yes, it is, Kate. In related news, District Attorney Albert Ross officially resigned this morning stating heath reasons. Sources say Mister Ross was actually given a choice to resign or be fired because of his poor handling of the Calvin case. Assistant District Attorney Marian Webb will handle the case untill a new District attorney is elected." The man is quiet as he and the woman shuffle some papers around.  
  
Then the women begins to speak. "In other news ..."  
  
The screen goes dark as the man with the remote turns the television off. While he doesn't condone what was done to the four men (and he's surprised by one of his former student's involvement) the actions taken don't upset him either. After all, none of them were seriously injured and there was no damage to private property. He smiles as he wheels himself out of the room. He doesn't kid himself. He knows the road to peace is still a long and hard one. But these arrests are another small step towards the realization of his dream.  
  
End ... for now 


End file.
